What necessity dictated the high volume of intake for Parasaurolophus, a large dinosaur?
Answer
Sheer body mass necessitated a substantial and continuous input of calories.
As a large dinosaur potentially weighing several tons, the primary driver for the massive intake of food was simply maintaining its bulk. This sheer body mass required a continuous and substantial input of calories throughout the day, meaning that foraging likely dominated a significant portion of daylight hours. Supporting this massive structure meant that available and accessible food quantities throughout the year were more critical than finding a singular preferred taste, driving the need for bulk processing of fibrous flora.
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