Question

animals would have escaped - or they would have been preserved in a running rather than a fighting position. quicksand? this theory suggests that the two dinosaurs fell into quicksand and were buried alive. the main problem here is that if they sank into quicksand, they probably would have been preserved with their limbs flailing about - as they desperately tried to get to solid ground. nothing about their body positions suggests they were sinking into sand. sand avalanche? this theory says that a flash flood caused a sand dune to collapse on top of the dinosaurs as they were fighting. when a steep sand dune is upset, it can slide down quickly like a snow avalanche. based on the evidence, this theory seems the most reasonable today - but don’t be surprised if new theories come along. answer the questions about the passage. 1. about 80 million years ago in the gobi desert, what were two dinosaurs doing when they were suddenly buried alive? 2. scientists have suggested that the two dinosaurs were killed by a sandstorm. what clues from the fossils show that the dinosaurs probably were not killed by a sandstorm?

Explanation:

1. The passage mentions "This theory says that a flash flood caused a sand dune to collapse on top of the dinosaurs as they were fighting." So they were fighting.
2. The passage states "If they were killed by a sandstorm, animals would have escaped – or they would have been preserved in a running rather than a fighting position." So the fact that they are in a fighting position is a clue they were not killed by a sandstorm.

Answer:

1. They were fighting.
2. They were preserved in a fighting position instead of a running - position.