Fossils found covered with ancient bite marks suggest at least one type of large dinosaur was in such dire straits, it began dining on members of its own species.

A remarkable 29 percent of 2,368 fossil bones unearthed since 1981 from the late Jurassic Mygatt-Moore Quarry have bite marks on them; this is six times more than is typically found at similar sites elsewhere, researchers report today in the journal PLOS One. The bones include evidence that Allosaurus, the most common carnivore at the site by far, was munching on its kin.

Cannibalism among dinosaurs is not necessarily surprising. Many large predators, such as crocodiles and alligators, eat members of their own species under certain circumstances. “Every major predator today will