Teenage Dinosaur pregnancy

Researchers at Berkeley, California, have found that large dinosaurs were sexually mature before they were full-grown. The analysis of bones of both predatory Allosaurus and plant-eating Tenontosaurus show this pattern. Studied individuals laid eggs when only 10 resp 8 yrs of age. See http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2008/01/14_teendinos.shtml
The growing pattern of those dinosaurs was similar to that of mammals and birds rather than reptiles. A fast growing phase, slowing down at adolescence. Just like large mammals, including man, sexual maturity was reached just at the end of the fast growing phase. Small mammals like mice and birds reach sexual maturity only after becoming full-grown.

These results once again confirm the image of dinosaurs as creatures quite unlike big repriles like crocodiles, more living like birds and mammals. Resaerch of the last years shows that dinosaurs were agile creatures, with well developed social life, closely related to birds rather than to reptiles. The classical image of slow and unintelligent giants has been abandoned by scientists for quite some time now.