In stark contrast to the previous post, discussing a cool yet lush prehistoric polar environment, our Dino Cam now focuses on the hot, sandy desert of Mesozoic Mongolia.
Seen here is a dino duel between two desert denizens, Velociraptor and Protoceratops.
In this case, the predator, Velociraptor, may have overestimated it's chances against the "vegi-saurus" ceratopsian, Protoceratops.
This scenario is based on fact: such a clash was preserved forever when an apparent desert sand dune fell on the sparring pair in mid fight, trapping and killing them both in what is now Mongolia.
The fossils capture the over-reaching Velociraptor with an arm being crushed in the vice-grip clamp of a closed Protoceratops jaw. There's no doubt that the peaceful Protoceratops was attacked by the Velociraptor, but the struggle clearly shows how the Protoceratops was not entirely defenseless: by chomping down on the arm of the attacker with it's powerful beaked jaw, it literally had the "upper hand" in the fight, and likely would've rendered the Velociraptor incapable of continuing the tussle.
Had the pair not both perished under the fallen dune, the Protoceratops (the "victim") would have decisively won this battle, while the Velociraptor (the bully) would have eventually died, either from loss of blood or unable to capture prey, as a result of its broken arm.
Who would have thought of this outcome between the fierce Velociraptor and easy-going Protoceratops - quite contrary to expectations.
In this case, the bully lost to the victim.
