It’s almost a different visual world than one that we can imagine. 

 

The Parasaurolophus have a solution to this problem. 

 

When you’ve got multiple Parasaurolophus living together, that means multiple eyes to scan the horizon. And if one of you is feeding, munching on the plants on the ground, the other can keep its eyes out, looking around, keeping an eye out for Tyrannosaur.

 

But not all plant eaters in the Cretaceous live as a group. Ankylosaurus are loners. They depend on a powerful tail club and steel-like body armor to defend themselves.

 

Without the herd to watch your back, Ankylosaurus has to watch its own. That’s a job made even harder. As its worst enemy, T-Rex can hunt under the cover of darkness.

 

Fortunately, an Ankylosaurus has another effective weapon in its armory—a highly refined sense of smell.

 

The nasal region of Ankylosaurus and its kin is one of the most specialized parts of its anatomy.

 

For an Ankylosaurus, a T-Rex’s distinctive odor is a dead giveaway. 

 

This is an animal for whom the sense of smell was more important, potentially, than the sense of vision. Ankylosaurus’ nasal passages wind through the skull, significantly increasing their surface area. This enlarged space is populated by millions of odor...