We can tell by looking at fossils of their teeth and claws. Meat-eaters and plant-eaters developed different special features, such as hands that could grasp and grinding or shearing teeth.
What were plant-eaters’ teeth like?
Yunnanosaurus had chisel-like teeth to cut up tough vegetation. Some sauropods had spoon-shaped teeth for cutting tough plants. Diplodocids had pencil-shaped teeth. They could strip branches bare in seconds by raking leaves through their teeth.
What were meat-eaters’ teeth and claws like?
Meat-eaters such as Allosaurus had long, curved, dagger-like teeth to kill and tear at prey. They had powerful jaws in their large heads and strong claws to grip their victims. Allosaurus could eat you up in two gulps!
Is it true? Some dinosaurs ate stones.
Yes. Plant-eaters swallowed stones called gastroliths, to help grind down tough plant food inside their stomachs. Gastroliths were up to ten cm across.
Amazing! Carcharodontosaurus had huge skull 1.6 metres across, with jaws full of teeth like a shark’s. And yet some dinosaurs had no teeth at all! Gallimimus fed mainly on insects and tiny creatures it could swallow whole.
Picture Credit : Google
