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What is the context of this research?

There is currently a great expansion in the research surrounding the behaviour of the carnivorous dinosaurs and the tyrannosaurs are at the forefront of this. Large tyrannosaurs have a unique combination of skull and tooth characters that means they likely hunted and fed in ways different to other carnivorous dinosaurs, but specimens like the one here are rare and we need to maximize the amount of information available with a careful study of both the patterns of bite marks and the data on how the fossil was preserved.

What is the significance of this project?

The main outcome of this project will be a description of the Daspletosaurus skull and the complex pattern of bites and breaks that represent the feeding traces. Detailed study of these marks, combined with information on the preservation of the skull will allow us to determine which species most likely fed on this carcass and how. This will provide information about the feeding behaviour of the scavenging animal and help piece together the ecological patterns of this ancient ecosystem.

What are the goals of the project?

The funds here will primarily be funding travel and accommodation costs to get Dr. Hone to the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta, Canada. Secondly, funds will then be used to contribute to the costs of publishing the research into an Open Access journal to make the information as widely available as possible.