Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
ousness, like ceratopsians—had immense nesting grounds that played a major part
in shaping their local environments. However, if such nesting grounds lacked egg-
shells and bones, geologists and paleontologists may not have recognized them for
their true nature and merely regarded them as strangely bumpy ground of uncertain
origin. So it is with some hope that an ichnological outlook and a little bit of luck
may aid in the discovery of large-scale dinosaur nesting grounds, and the effects
these grounds had on their local environments.
Dinosaur Flatulence and Global Warming
Fartsdonotfossilize. Thisisanextremely fortunate situation forgeologists andpa-
leontologists worldwide who otherwise would have to wear gas masks every time
they cracked open a Mesozoic rock with their hammers. Let's face it, the Mesozoic
was probably a very stinky time in earth history, given the considerable numbers
and sizes of dinosaurs actively eating, belching, vomiting, pooping, peeing, and,
yes, breaking wind in a way that likely generated its ownmeasureable wind speeds.
Probablytheonlywayforichnologiststodetectwhetheraspecificdinosaurlet
one rip is to carefully examine the sediment surrounding the few theropod resting
traces described from Early Jurassic rocks and see whether any unexplained struc-
turesmightbeintheformervicinity ofthetheropodtrackmaker'scloaca. However,
I am not hopeful about our finding such trace fossils, nor do I expect anyone to
receive government-funded research grants to reproduce modern examples under
laboratory conditions.
So although individual trace fossils of dinosaurs' gaseous emissions may not
berecognizable,theircollectiveeffectslikelywere.Paleontologists,geologists,and
paleoclimatologists
(people who study ancient climates and how these changed
throughtime)areconsideringtheintriguingpossibilitythatdinosaurfartsmayhave
contributed to global climate change.
The sudden release of gases from intestines, politely termed
flatulence
, can
causelocalizedchangesinatmosphericchemistrythatmayormaynotbedetectable
