AI Insight
Fossil evidence suggests that dinosaurs living along North American coasts consumed seaweed and other marine material that washed ashore during storms. This phenomenon, called marine subsidization, occurs when ocean-derived food sources supplement terrestrial diets and is common in modern coastal ecosystems. The findings indicate that dinosaurs may have relied on these marine resources similarly to how modern land animals use beach-cast material, particularly during periods when terrestrial food was scarce.
Why it matters
This discovery expands our understanding of dinosaur feeding behaviors and ecological interactions in coastal environments. It demonstrates that ancient terrestrial ecosystems were interconnected with marine systems in ways similar to modern coastal habitats, providing insight into how dinosaurs adapted to variable food availability.
Understand the Science
Storms routinely wash marine material ashore, providing food for land animals and other organisms. This is known as marine subsidization (MS). Today, MS is particularly common in coastal ecosystems and is especially important to animals when land ecosystems produce less food than usual, such as during droughts. A new Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution study has shown that dinos and their prey, too, may have eaten seafood washed onto beaches.
Source: Dinosaur snacked on seaweed washed up on North American coasts, fossil teeth suggest