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Dinosaurs in Paleoecology: Robert Bakker’s Theory Critique

Explore the ancient interactions and behaviors of dinosaurs as social animals, including studies on herd travel, long migrations, nest-making, and nurturing offspring. Delve into Maiasaura nest predator/prey relationships and Bakker's theory on predator/prey ratios and internal body temperature. Uncover the criticism towards Bakker’s theory, questioning prey-predator size assumptions, spatial, social, and health factors affecting predator populations, and challenges in estimating dinosaur weights and interpreting dinosaur faunas in preservation.

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Dinosaurs in Paleoecology: Robert Bakker’s Theory Critique

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  1. Paleoecology of the Dinosaurs The study of ancient interactions of organisms

  2. Dinosaurs as Social Animals • Traveled in herds • Migrated long distances • Made nests • Cared for their young

  3. Maiasaura Nest

  4. Predator/Prey Relationships • Meat-eating dinosaurs hunted in packs • Plant-eating dinosaurs developed large size, horns, spikes, and hard armor to defend themselves

  5. Robert Bakker

  6. Bakker’s Theory on Predator/Prey Relationships and Internal Body Temperature • Endotherms require more energy than ectotherms, which is directly reflected in biomass • Uniform predator/prey biomass ratios • Endotherms: 1% to 3% • Ectotherms: 40% • Dinosaurs: 2% to 4%

  7. Criticism to Bakker’s Theory • Assumed prey were same size as predators • Spatial, social, health factors also constrain predator populations, not just prey • Difficult to estimate true weight of dinosaurs • Preservation of dinosaur faunas can be very misleading • Because of these, his results can hardly be conclusive

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