Giant Clawed Dinosaur’s Purpose of Enormous Claws Revealed

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Here’s the scoop!

• Therizinosaurus had the largest claws ever discovered, each as long as a samurai sword.
• The purpose of these terrifying talons had remained a mystery until a recent study showed that they were used to attract mates rather than for combat.
• The beast lived 75 million years ago and was a plant-eater that also ate meat, using its long neck to stretch for leaves on tall trees.

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Scientists have discovered that the enormous claws of Therizinosaurus, a 40-foot long and six-ton dinosaur, were not used for combat as previously thought, but instead to attract mates. The claws were more than three feet long and were likened to “Edward Scissorhands on speed”. In a study, lead author Zichuan Qin used computer simulations to identify functions based on detailed computations.

“Our engineering simulation shows that these claws could not withstand much stress”, said Dr. Chun-Chi Liao, a co-author of the study.

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The team concluded that the adult Therizinosaurus could wave the claws at a competitor and effectively say, “Look at me; back off” — or wave them around in some way like a peacock displaying its tail to attract females for mating. The Therizinosaurus also had strange feet, resting on four toes while standing and walking, while most theropods only had three.

The study shows how advanced computing and engineering techniques can help simulate how extinct animals like Therizinosaurus lived and functioned, using fundamental engineering and biomechanical principles.

Source: goodnewsnetwork.org