Dinosaurs evolved different eye socket shapes to allow stronger bites – study

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Large dinosaur predators, such as Tyrannosaurus rex, evolved different shapes of eye sockets so they could have stronger bites, a new study suggests. The results show that only some dinosaurs had eye sockets that were elliptical or keyhole-shaped Dr Stephan Lautenschlager, University of Birmingham Dr Stephan Lautenschlager, senior lecturer for palaeobiology at the university and author of the new study, analysed the shape of the eye sockets of around 500 different dinosaurs and related species. However, if these were replaced with other eye socket shapes stresses were considerably reduced allowing top predators, including Tyrannosaurus rex, to evolve high bite forces without compromising skull stability. The study also found that most plant-eating species and juvenile animals retained a circular eye socket, and only large carnivores adopted other morphologies, such as elliptical, keyhole-shaped or figure-of-eight-shaped eye sockets.