The Fate of the Fighting Dinosaurs

I've often thought to myself what is, in my opinion, the greatest fossil of all time. I know, kind of childish to think about what that dinosaur rock is coolest, but I digress. There is so many contenders and so many different ways to judge. Should it be based purely on completeness? Scientific importance? Maybe what kind of story is told of the organisms preserved? Well, if you want to see an incredible balance of all of these aspects, I would like to present you with what, in my opinion, is the greatest fossil yet discovered. This exquisite specimen was discovered in the Gobi Desert in 1971. By all accounts, we have miraculously discovered what appears to be two dinosaurs locked in a bloody duel, preserved in three dimensions, exactly as they had died. It is truly remarkable, but what is the story behind this fossil? What are these two animals? Why were they fighting? And how did they end up so well preserved? Today, I hope to give you the Budget Museum's Best Exhibit, as we travel back to the sands of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia to figure out the fate of the fighting dinosaurs. The Gobi Desert is a land of inhospitality. Overlapping the nations of China and Mongolia, its vast expanses stretch more than 1,000 kilometers east and west. The desert is a land of several ecoregions, from flat-stepped grass and shrublands to rugged mountains, home to hardy populations of camel and gazelle. But the Gobi may be most notable for the areas of dunes and sandstone cliffs. These are areas of extreme, fluctuating temperatures. This desolate land grows dangerously dry and hot for any inhabitant, as well as being, maybe surprisingly for some, a very cold place. Located so far north and lying at a high altitude, the sands of the Gobi regularly experience frost and snow. For most of human history, such lands have only been inhabited by a handful of nomads who are able to eke out a living, and were the frontier of the ancient Chinese dynasties touched, marked by the ruins of the Great Wall. Only in the 20th century has the Gobi been of importance to science, most notably paleontology. In the 1920s, an expedition undertaken by the American Museum of Natural History and led by Roy Chapman Andrews plunged deep into the Gobi Desert. Among various other discoveries, Andrews would visit a geologic formation of Cretaceous period rock, known now as the Jodokida Formation, in a region of the Gobi known as the Nemegt Basin. The area that Andrews in particular visited was a stunning rock formation that he named the Flaming Cliffs, and from this area would find the first ever fossilized dinosaur eggs. In the ensuing years, more paleontological digs would be conducted in the Nemegt Basin. These expeditions proved wildly successful, as a diverse array of dinosaur and other animal fossils from different geological formations were dug up and examined, and thus the basin got its nickname by locals, the Valley of the Dragons. Several decades after Chapman's original exploration, another expedition of the Nemegt Basin was conducted in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a joint expedition between Polish and Mongolian paleontologists. This expedition would uncover fossils from multiple geologic formations, one of which is the Jodokida. Fossils collected during the expedition include various Cretaceous mammals and reptiles, the dome-headed Pachycephalosaurs, and armored Ankylosaurs, the giant herbivore Cerolophus, and a close cousin to the T-Rex, Tarbosaurus. Of the most common dinosaur fossils were the remains of a herbivore named Protoceratops. Even before this expedition, Protoceratops stood out for having a number of extraordinary fossilized specimens. Protoceratops have been fossilized with complete skeletons, sometimes articulated and at different levels of the animal's growth, and egg-filled nests, but one specimen uncovered from the Jodokida formation would be one of the most exceptional yet discovered. It shows a relatively complete Protoceratops skeleton, seemingly entangled together with another dinosaur, Velociraptor. Almost immediately, the fossil became notorious among paleontologists and gained the nickname of the fighting dinosaurs. Yet how these two animals got preserved seemingly locked in combat would perplex scientists for some time. We must first understand the ecology of both dinosaurs involved in this story before we can understand how they became preserved in the sands of time. The Jodokida formation represents a period of time in the Gobi where the lands were barren and harsh. At first this does not seem surprising, but such arid climates have not been constant throughout the area's history. Before the time of the Jodokida formation, the region was covered in winding rivers and lakes populated by turtles and crocodile relatives. The dinosaur population was bizarre, made up of ungainly herbivorous dinosaurs known as therizinosaurs and swift ostrich-like ornithomimosaurs. Maybe most bizarre was a humongous beaked dinosaur known as gigantoraptor. What makes this two-ton animal's size so strange is it is descended from a family of dinosaurs who usually don't grow much larger than a man. Possibly one of the top predators of this environment was Electrosaurus, a polar bear-sized early relative of the tyrannosaurs. And furthermore, after the Jodokida, increased rain would bring meandering streams that would provide enough sustenance for an array of larger dinosaurs. They supported large tyrannosaurs, hadrosaurs, sauropods, and chylosaurs, and the lumbering therizinosaurs would even return. A stranger species of large, bulky herbivore would also be found here, the Deinokyrus, descended from those swift ornithomimosaurs who swapped speed for size and strength. Unlike the two wet environments it is sandwiched between, the Jodokida was presumably a brutal location where the bear necessities would be in short supply. Sand dunes would stretch in every direction, only broken by small streams and ponds. Small mammals and reptiles were quite abundant in the formation, whilst the giant dinosaurs are distinctly missing. The barren land meant fauna during this time could not grow to the gigantic levels of later ages, and thus most dinosaurs remained quite modest in size. For herbivores, medium-sized hadrosaurs have been identified from Jodokida, as well as ankylosaurs such as Pinacosaurus. But by far the common herbivore was Protoceratops. The first thing you might notice about this animal is it is an early relative of a much more famous lineage of dinosaur, the Ceratopsians. Compared to its multi-ton descendants like Triceratops, Protoceratops grew about as large as a sheep. It wasn't even the largest ceratopsian present in the formation. That title goes to the uncommon and cow-sized Oudonoceratops. Still, Protoceratops should not be underestimated. It physically outweighed nearly all of the predators in its environment, save for some yet to be described tyrannosaurs that may have lived there. Additionally, it possessed a menacing beak that would be able to slice off a human's hand. Protoceratops' greatest strength probably came in their numbers. There is considerable evidence that they were social creatures. A fossilized nest of 15 infant dinosaurs were dug up and preserved. The fact the infant creature stayed around the nest while developing means adult Protoceratops might have cared for their young during adolescence, a behavior which is unfortunately rare among the dim-witted dinosaurs. Further social displays can be presumed by the anatomy, as the Protoceratops' frill was apparently a tool for social display. The bony structure served a practical purpose as the anchor for strong jaw muscles, yet could have very easily been a way to bolster the animal's appearance. Although not nearly as striking as the frills of its descendants, the large surface of the frill provides ample room for bright colors and markings to attract mates, or to ward off rivals and predators. All of this social display on top of the high concentration of Protoceratops' remains suggest these creatures did live in herds. The herds were most active during the daytime, resting generously to avoid the dreadful heat and moving sporadically in search of water and low-lying brush. How we even have so many spectacular Protoceratops fossils has been a question for those who've discovered them. The amount of nearly complete fossils, articulated skeletons, animals from all different stages in life, as well as eggs and nests have been an invaluable factor in understanding these creatures. The preservation of the creatures has been remarkable and seems to be due to the unforgiving nature of the Judocura formation. The endless sand dunes of the desert presented as much of a threat as any living dinosaur. Many Protoceratops fossils are found in a certain position, reaching up to the sky and gasping for air. It is thought many Protoceratops died in the intense sandstorms of the desert, viciously suffocated and buried alive by collapsing sand dunes, preserved unscathed from scavengers or the elements. As for the carnivores and other theropods of the Judocura formation, nearly all are members of the Maniraptorans, feathered and small to medium-sized dinosaurs who are the ancestors of avian dinosaurs, better known as birds. Of the species populating the Gobi at this time, some of the most humble were the swift and one-clawed Olverosaurs, who may have been prolific termite eaters. The more average-sized relatives of Gigantoraptor are also present here, the Oviraptorids. Their name, the Egg Thieves, was given due to the first fossil of these creatures discovered next to what was assumed to be Protoceratops' eggs. Yet further analysis showed the fossil was not of an egg thief but a protective parent, and the eggs were the Oviraptor's own. Instead of eggshell-cracking carnivores, these beaked reptiles were presumably herbivorous, or at most opportunistic omnivores. Maybe the strangest of the Judocura theropods was the minuscule Halscaraptor, whose spoon-shaped bill and limbs built for swimming give the image of some kind of dinosaur duck, which is doubly confusing since remember, ducks are still technically dinosaurs. Yet in terms of typical predators, the Gobi appears to be dominated by Dromaeosaurs and Truodontids, groups of Maniraptorids defined by their plumage and infamous sickle claws. And of course, the most notorious of these is Velociraptor. However, for those who have not kept up with dinosaurs as of recent, let's have a quick review. Velociraptor is absolutely not like the movie monster portrayed in the Jurassic Park movies, for many, many reasons. Unfortunately, they could not talk. They also weren't that large. Without the tail, they wouldn't be much larger than a turkey. They would have looked somewhat like a turkey as well, at least more turkey than scaly lizard. The paleontological community is certain that feathers were heavily prevalent in Dromaeosaurs like Velociraptor, and heavy plumage also certainly existed on the animal. And although smart for dinosaurs, it has not been proven if Velociraptors could hunt in coordinated packs. There is possible evidence for other Dromaeosaurs maybe moving as a group, but this evidence is dubious, and there is no direct evidence in any Velociraptor specimen. It is safe to say the Velociraptor would have been a solitary carnivore most of the time, yet still an effective predator, even in the merciless desert. There is evidence Velociraptor scavenged meals, such as pterosaur bones found in the gut contents of a raptor, or the animal's gnawing teeth marks on decaying protoceratops bones. Yet it was also fond of actively hunting live prey. The Velociraptor was a quick and agile animal, whose keen senses allowed it to track down food easily. Its eyes were adapted for the night, when the day suited eyes of herbivores were less perceptive. You might be wondering what the sickle claw on the raptor was actually used for. For a long time it has been thought the claw could slice through flesh and disembowel a victim, but this has been proven inaccurate. Instead the claw may have been used to pierce through skin and into tissue, and let the raptor attach to its prey. This would have been useful in taking down smaller prey items. Similar to modern birds of prey, it is thought dromaeosaurs would jump on top of small prey, and pin it down using their claws and body weight, before eating the animal alive. Although an active and ruthless killer, even a Velociraptor would have trouble taking down a protoceratops. An adult outweighs any raptor, and would have been protected by its threatening head and herd members. Still, with such a high concentration of protoceratops in a land of scarce resources, both species would have invariably crossed paths with each other many times. A lone hunter stalks the Gobi Desert at dusk, as dim clouds cover the sky. A desperate Velociraptor trots across the dunes, searching for its next meal. It focuses on the smell of a watering hole, knowing that where the priceless resource of water is, sizable prey is never far. And indeed, as it nears closer, its other senses tell the hunter its search is complete. It comes across one of the most common sights in the desert, protoceratops. The Velociraptor might have preferred smaller, more manageable prey, but its hunger is overwhelming. And for one reason or another, the protoceratops is perceived as vulnerable. Maybe it had been isolated from its herd, or had no herd at all. Maybe it was visibly ill. Either way, the predator has found its prey, and lies in wait to strike. The protoceratops will only get drazier as the daylight hours end, and has yet to sense the raptor. As the raptor bides its time, harsh winds and a light drizzle fell upon the sands. Suddenly, without warning, the raptor charges forward. The protoceratops only realizes when the predator is about to lunge. In response, the protoceratops prances about, moving aggressively and aiming its threatening head towards its attacker. The velociraptor makes a bold move and grabs both sides of the ceratopsian's head with its potent forelimbs. The protoceratops, now with razor-sharp claws of the raptor in its skull, only grows more bewildered. Using its heavier weight, the protoceratops suddenly tramples forward and makes the raptor lose its footing. Suddenly, the defender has turned the tables on its attacker, pinning the raptor underneath its body. In addition, the velociraptor is roiled in pain, as the scissor-like beak of its prey bites down on the right arm, crippling it. It's back to the ground in the situation looking grim. The raptor ruthlessly plunges the sickle claws of its hind limbs deep into the abdomen and throat of its combatant, piercing through flesh in a final attempt to incapacitate it. As a storm rages around them, the animals were now in a deadlock, both severely wounded and unwilling to budge. It is here where the real killer of the story emerges. The imposing dune overlooking the two adversaries suddenly collapses, and in a billow of sand the two animals are swallowed up. Yet even their burial does not stop their struggle, and as both creatures suffocate, they remain in the final moments of their fight. Preserved in the sands of time, the two will stay locked in an eternal duel for some 70 million years. The fossil, since its discovery, has given the field of paleontology many answers and questions. One thing that many couldn't wrap their heads around was the miraculous nature of such a find. It was suggested by some that the fossil did not represent two animals fighting. Instead, an ambitious velociraptor was scavenging on the carcass of an already deceased protoceratops when it too succumbed to death. Yet the aggressive pose of the raptor would be unnecessary for an animal simply trying to scavenge, and it is much more likely both animals were alive and fighting. It has also been a question as to how the animals got buried. Formerly, it was thought the Jodokida formation was much more similar in climate to the formations it was sandwiched in between, being wet and swampy. Therefore, it was proposed the two dinosaurs had died after falling into a body of water, fighting to the bitter end until they drowned and mud quickly covered them. But now that it is known the Jodokida was an arid habitat, it seems much more clear the animals died like other famous fossils from the Jodokida, violently engulfed in sand. It is possible the violent winds that so often cause sandstorms buried both animals underneath a hail of sand, or caused the collapse of a great dune to fall on both creatures. Another option in the dune hypothesis is both creatures died during a rainstorm. Sand dunes can spontaneously collapse when they absorb enough rainwater to buckle underneath their own weight. Either way, it is now explainable how these two animals could be so quickly and Another question relates to the fact that both animals are not perfectly preserved. The Protoceratops was discovered with both forelimbs heavily damaged. The right arm and pectoral girdle of the animal is dislocated to the left and backwards. Meanwhile, the left arm is completely missing. The most obvious explanation for the damaged arms are scavengers, who may have tried to pull the partially covered Protoceratops out of the sands by the forelimbs, thus desecrating the body. However, there is a second theory that links back to the Protoceratops' social lifestyle. It is proposed, with Protoceratops being gregarious, that this specimen's herd attempted to pull it out of the sand in some attempt to save it, before either giving up or realizing it was too late, giving a bittersweet ending to the Protoceratops' grave demise. I personally do not subscribe to this. I find it unlikely and it was probably just scavengers or some more mundane explanation. Still, it is fun to speculate on a fossil already filled with so much story. Besides harboring questions and looking neat, the fighting dinosaurs really do have an important impact on paleontology. Never before had a fossil so dramatically shown dinosaurs not as the remains of lumbering and extinct monsters, but as real and active animals. This fossil is the clearest example of a predator-prey relationship among the terrible lizards, which sounds so obvious nowadays. How couldn't have dinosaurs been hunting and fighting each other? That's practically all they do in popular media. Yet don't forget that for a long time dinosaurs were viewed as sluggish and lazy animals, too dumb and cold-blooded to be compared to the productive lifestyle of modern mammals and birds. The fighting dinosaurs fossil was discovered at a pivotal moment in paleontology when this archaic generalization about dinosaurs was being overturned. Velociraptor and its relatives, most Deinonychus, revealed these animals were active, bird-like, and warm-blooded. This paradigm shift in paleontology is often named the dinosaur renaissance, where dinosaurs would be viewed not as oversized lizards, but realistic, energetic creatures. The fighting dinosaurs, with its incredible portrayal of the final lively battle between these two animals, is substantial evidence for the ideas of the dinosaur renaissance. There have been amazing fossils before and since, yet none grip me as the fighting dinosaurs do. There's just something about it, it feels more like a painting than fossil. Both creatures, millions of years later, still seem to be struggling, just as invigorated to kill the other as they were in life. It is fossils like these that keep my love for paleontology alive. They depict the lives and struggles of animals separated from us by 70 million years of history, when in the desolate land of the Gobi, dinosaurs ruled the earth. I hope you all enjoyed. I firstly want to thank the talented Dominus Delorum, who supplied a few of the excellent illustrations in this video for me. Check them out on Instagram, link in the description. This video took a lot of effort and time into making, and I hope you all enjoy my last project for a while. Yep, that's right, after this finale of sorts I'll be on sort of a hiatus, but don't worry I'm not going to disappear. Especially for this project, I thank all of the excellent footage, pictures, and music that went into making this. And as always, you have been a wonderful audience. Thank you for watching. See ya.