How robust was the tooth enamel thickness in *Longipteryx* compared to massive predators like *Allosaurus*?
Answer
It was an incredible 50 microns thick, matching the density found on *Allosaurus*
*Longipteryx chaoyangensis* evolved a unique anatomical adaptation to process its discovered diet, which included seeds and tough fruit husks. To effectively manage this kind of resource, its tooth enamel developed an extreme level of density and thickness, measured at 50 microns. Remarkably, this thickness was equivalent to the enamel density observed in enormous predatory dinosaurs, such as *Allosaurus*. This high degree of mechanical reinforcement on such a small bird, comparable to that of a giant predator, suggests an extreme adaptation for crushing challenging food items.
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