Montana Find, Carnivore And "Victim" Found Together

["Richard W. Travsky" <rtravsky@uwyo.edu>]

http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2007/01/16/news/regional/c8ceabc40806fc4787257264007b9bdc.txt

Fossil hunters have uncovered a world-class dinosaur find in the badlands 
of western Garfield County.

Frozen in the sandstone are the death poses of two beasts, a meat-eater 
and a plant-eater, with their tails crossed like swords.

The pair's sudden, sandy burial, near the coast of Montana's prehistoric 
sea 75 million years ago, preserved them with remarkable detail, right 
down to tendons and teeth, the Great Falls Tribune reported in describing 
the find Sunday.

The discovery is believed to be one of only three worldwide capturing a 
meat-eater and plant-eater together, and the first in North America, the 
newspaper said.

At first blush, the evidence implicates the carnivore in its grave mate's 
death.

But Nate Murphy, paleontologist at the Dinosaur Field Station in Malta, 
who visited the quarry last summer, says the murder case against the 
meat-eater is weak.

Based on the placement of the skeletons, it's more likely that the two 
unfortunates were victims of a flood and their bodies washed up on the 
same sandbar, he said.

The vegetarian's attacker or attackers struck at some point before its 
carcass came to rest, Murphy said.
...