Finite elements analysis suggests a defensive role for osteoderms in titanosaur dinosaurs (Sauropoda)

1. Finite elements analysis
suggests a defensive role for
osteoderms in titanosaur
dinosaurs (Sauropoda)
Julian C. G. Silva Junior, Felipe C. Montefeltro, Agustín G. Martinelli,
Thiago S. Marinho & Max C. Langer

2. Titanosauria
Silva Junior, 2020

3. Titanosauria
CHAPI: Armored Iberian Titanosaur by rick-raptor on DeviantArt
• Display
• Thermoregulation
• Mineral reservoir
• Protection?

4. Could a Titanosaur osteoderm resist a bite?
Osteoderm from Ibirá,
SP (Marinho & Iori,
2011).

5. Could a Titanosaur osteoderm resist a bite?

6. Finite Element Analysis
• Non-invasive
• Can reconstruct stress on multiple portions of the skeleton
• Applicable to extinct taxa
• Applicable to complex geometric models
Rayfield, 2007

7. Simulated bites
Bite 1: Carnotaurus
3341 N (Mazzeta et al., 2009)
Bite 2: Pissarrachampsa
2500 N (Montefeltro et al., 2020)

8. Results
• Solid osteoderm exhibited lower
overall Von Mises stress when
compared to the hollow osteoderm
• Titanosaurs may have used their
osteoderms as defensive structures
as long as they did not undergo
extreme bone tissue loss (e.g., during
extreme dry seasons or in gravid or
nesting females)
• This potential function could
especially benefit titanosaurs during
early ontogenetic stages, if juvenile
osteoderms were proportionally larger
and closer to each other.