Paleontologists have often determined how old a dinosaur was by counting the growth rings in its bones. Just like with trees, it was thought that each ring corresponded to a single year of age. But researchers who studied crocodiles at an outdoor recreation center near Cape Town appear to have poked a hole in that approach.
Paleontologists have often determined how old a dinosaur was by counting the growth rings in its bones. Just like with trees, it was thought that each ring corresponded to a single year of age. But researchers who studied crocodiles at an outdoor recreation center near Cape Town appear to have poked a hole in that approach.
In the crocodiles, which are some of the closest living relatives of dinosaurs, there was more than one growth ring laid down per year. The results contribute to a growing debate over the best way to age animals. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ atHistorically, dinosaur ages have been estimated using the growth rings in their bones — one ring per year. But new research involving crocodiles suggests a faster pace. In the crocodiles, which are some of the closest living relatives of dinosaurs, there was more than one growth ring laid down per year. The results contribute to a growing debate over the best way to age animals. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at This episode was produced by Hannah Chinn. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez and Brent Baughman. Hannah Chinn checked the facts. The audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.
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