In one of the most memorable scenes from the original Jurassic Park, Dilophosaurus flared its crest around its neck and spewed deadly venom from its mouth. But did poisonous dinosaurs really exist? Portal popsci.com found it in question.
In 2009, scientists speculated that Sinornithosaurus, a small feathered predator from Cretaceous China, might have been poisonous. Researchers found grooves in its teeth could be used to deliver poison. Initially, this claim attracted media attention, but subsequent scientific works have cast doubt on this theory.
Today, most paleontologists agree that science does not have enough evidence that Sinornithosaurus was actually poisonous. Although some experts believe venomous dinosaurs may have existed, we know that venom was found in only a small group of prehistoric reptiles, and even then, they did not have the anatomical features typical of dinosaurs.
In addition, you need to understand that poisonous animals use organic toxins in different ways. Some, such as dart frogs, passively transfer poison to their prey through touch. Others, like venomous snakes, bees or spiders, must sting or bite to immobilize or kill their prey. In other words, the first group simply stores toxins in the body, while the second group has specialized organs to produce and inject them.
When it comes to potentially venomous prehistoric reptiles, paleontologists often look for structures that are most characteristic of venomous animals, such as grooves or tubes in teeth. Although some modern species, like Komodo dragons, do not have visible tubes like snakes, e.g. In addition, many reptiles today have venom glands located just under the skin. That is, they simply will not be preserved in fossil form. Therefore, it is possible that poisonous dinosaurs are real but science cannot prove their existence.
For example, in North America at the end of the Triassic period (220 million years ago), there was a reptile called Huatchitodon, which had a unique structure to inject poison – one by one, like modern snakes. A cavity at the root of the tooth, a closed tube, a small hole at the tip. But only the teeth of this animal have reached paleontologists; Without other remains, it would be impossible to say its exact position in the reptile tree. Therefore, Watchitodon cannot be called a poisonous dinosaur.
Dinosaurs, despite their incredible diversity, certainly shared some common skeletal features. The presence or absence of these features helps distinguish reptile fossils from dinosaurs. For example, dinosaurs' legs were located directly under their bodies, helping them maintain an upright posture. And most reptiles have legs on both sides of the body, while the body lies parallel to the ground.
Thus, the species Microzemiotes sonelaensis from the Mesozoic period has the characteristics of a venomous animal that lived during the age of dinosaurs. But its relationship with other reptiles is difficult to determine from preserved remains. But the location of Sphenovipera, another early venomous reptile, can be determined: it belongs to the family of reptile-like cuataras that inhabit the rocky beaches of New Zealand.
Although all modern venomous reptiles are classified in the clade Toxicofera, the animals whose fossils have been found by paleontologists do not belong to this group. Perhaps the presence of venom structures in many groups suggests that reptiles have evolved venom many times, as have fish, mammals and many other animals.
So what's the verdict on poisonous dinosaurs? They may have existed but no one can confirm for sure. For example, among modern birds, distant descendants of dinosaurs, none are poisonous. At least technically. But there are species that know how to use poison to defend themselves: the New Guinea pitahu stores the poison of the insects it eats throughout its body, even in its bones and feathers. Furthermore, they are toxic enough that just touching them can cause skin irritation in humans. Perhaps some dinosaurs had similar tricks.
