- Science
- Not Exactly Rocket Science
Duck-billed dinosaur defended itself by outgrowing predators
A good defence was a vital part of life in the Cretaceous. Plant-eaters needed effective ways of warding off the crushing jaws of Tyrannosaurus and its kin. Some species like Triceratops and Ankylosaurus had fairly obvious protective equipment, including horns, frills and armoured plates. But others lacked defensive armaments, and had to fend off predators through subtler means.
Take Hypacrosaurus. It was one of the duck-billed dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs, and like most other members of the group, its soft body lacked any obvious protection. Its main advantage was size; a fully-grown adult was an immense animal that almost rivalled T.rex in height. Its name even means “near the highest lizard”. And if a large size is your only defence,