Dinosaurs are virtually indestructible, suckers!

[bloodyjack]

(Or at least they were.)


High-Tech Dinosaurs Had Tails Like Fiberglass
By Robert Roy Britt
LiveScience Senior Writer
posted: 17 November 2004
06:30 am ET

The ankylosaurus dinosaurs had club-like tails for defense. But these were more than prehistoric weapons. The backs and tails of some ankylosaurs were protected by strong, lightweight armor so sophisticated it resembles the structure of a surfboard or bulletproof vest.

Ankylosaurs grew up to 33 feet (10 meters) long. But they were vegetarians, and would have needed a good defensive scheme. They lived in the late Cretaceous Period, around 70 million years ago -- same time as T. rex.

Torsten Scheyer of the University of Bonn studied a complete set of ankylosaur chain mail. His findings, released yesterday, are a bit of a surprise. Scientists had thought the bony plates were made of a simple structure much like those of modern crocodiles.

Scheyer found two complex arrangements. In one, collagen fibers were interwoven in the bone calcium of the plates, forming mats that crisscross from layer to layer. Within a mat, fibers were parallel, yet the fibers were perpendicular to those in the mats above and below.

http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/041117_dino_tech.html

[Liberal Veteran]

1. Trust...my experiences with Barney back this up!

Not only indestructable but hard to get rid of!

[NYC Liberal]

2. Wouldn't wanna get bitchslapped by one of those bad boys.

That's for sure!