Educator Guide: Dino Tracks and Chemical Predation

T. rex or Velociraptor — who would win in a race? Scientists of the 1970s developed a set of equations that led modern scientists to predict speed of dinosaurs. But how well do those equations predict real life? Learn how a tidy math equation can sometimes oversimplify complex issues. Answer questions about how missing variables might lead to flawed conclusions and discuss challenges from inferring the behavior and characteristics of long-extinct species from available evidence.

Predation occurs when one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. In this lesson, students will learn about the recently discovered chemical predation tactics of the feather-legged lace weaver spider, which vomits toxins on its prey. Students will explore the possible evolutionary advantages and disadvantages of this technique and research another organism that uses chemical means for predation.