Paleontology ›  Unit 5

Unit 5 The Cretaceous

Flowering plants spread, a shallow sea splits North America in two, and horned and duck-billed herds share the land with tyrannosaurs. Ends with you testifying in court on whether T. rex was a hunter or a scavenger.

🕐 10 class days🅰️ 4 Activities🅿️ 2 Projects🅱️ 1 Problem
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The Path Through Unit 5

The science museum is staging a mock trial for its dinosaur festival: was T. rex a hunter or just a scavenger? You've been called as the expert witness. Read the full case →
5.1The last dinosaur world4 days
PProject🕐 2 class days

P5.1.3  Hell Creek Census

Use real specimen counts from Montana's Hell Creek Formation to build a census of its dinosaurs. Calculate how common each species was and the ratio of predators to prey, then compare it to a modern ecosystem like the Serengeti. The math is quick; working out what the counts are biased toward is the real task.

Turn in: Abundance chart + predator-to-prey ratio compared to a modern ecosystemOpen →
5.2Built to show off, fight, and hunt4 days
PProject🕐 2 class days

P5.2.3  Crest Call

Parasaurolophus's hollow crest may have worked like a brass instrument. Measure the air passage from a crest diagram, model it as a resonating tube, and calculate the low note it could make. Then build a PVC or cardboard version and test whether your prediction holds.

Turn in: Tube model + frequency calculation + a recording of your testOpen →
5.3Unit problem2 days
BProblem🕐 2 class days

B5.3.1  Hunter or Scavenger?

Was Tyrannosaurus a hunter, a scavenger, or both? You get bite-marked Triceratops and Edmontosaurus bones (including one healed wound), T. rex's leg proportions, eye placement, and bite force, plus your Hell Creek census. Testify as an expert witness and hold your position under cross-examination.

Turn in: Expert testimony brief with labeled evidence exhibitsOpen →