Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Sexual Identification of A Rex Fossil

Posted by Zonk on from the cranky-mother dept.

Rollie Hawk writes "The Tyrannosaurus rex has long been the darling of science fiction dinosaurs and has one of the most well-known skeletal designs among extinct creatures. But while even the most casual dinosaur enthusiast can identify the T. rex, until recently the sex of individual specimens was not discernable. Though dinosaurs are most known for their traits shared with modern reptiles, it is their kinship with birds that has finally revealed the sex of a T. rex fossil. To prepare for egg production, female birds develop a thick layer of medullary bone in their long bones, which acts as an extra source of eggshell calcium. According to Dr. Mary H. Schweitzer of North Carolina State University, the 'tyrant lizard king' appears to do the same thing. She explains that 'dinosaurs produced and shelled their eggs much more like modern birds than like modern crocodiles.'"

3 of 105 comments (clear)

  1. Gives "Love bite" a whole new meaning by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Lookie at my G5 rig

  2. NOT FUNNY: China DNA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    These new medical techniques should be able to pinpoint the genetic ancestry of the Chinese. Given the Chinese tendency to torture and kill others, there is the strong likelihood that the Chinese are an offshoot of the homo sapien.

    These medical techniques should be able to confirm whether this theory is valid.

  3. PEOPLE WITH MOD POINTS: CALL FOR HELP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    There's a guy currently flooding Slashdot with randomly generated crap messages with the intent of disrupting normal discussion. Click on one of the links below to see what I mean. If you have mod points left and aren't sure what to use them for, plase mod him down so we can get his network banned.

    Comment #1
    Comment #2
    Comment #3
    Comment #4
    Comment #5
    Comment #6

    Your help would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

    If you actually HAVE a different use for your mod points, just use them elsewhere and don't reply. But keep in mind that crapflooding WILL come to one of your discussions sooner or later.