Page 28 - aruba-today-20190509

A28 SCIENCE
Thursday 9 May 2019

This March 28, 2019 photo provided by Virginia Tech shows the
fossilized bones of Suskityrannus hazelae, a miniature adult Ty-
rannosaurus dinosaur relative, in Blacksburg, Va., discovered
by Sterling Nesbitt, an Assistant Professor of Geobiology. He
found some of the original fossils when he was 17 years old.
Associated Press
Meet the T. rex An Original Impossible Burger, left, and a Cali Burger, from Umami Burger, are shown in this photo

cousin who you could in New York, Friday, May 3, 2019. Associated Press

literally look down on Meatsplainer: How new plant-

WASHINGTON (AP) — His- Ecology and Evolution. based burgers compare to beef
tory's most frightening dino- The new dinosaur is called
saur, the Tyrannosaurus rex, Suskityrannus hazelae, By CANDICE CHOI ters more might be how the Institute, which represents
came from a long line of named after the Zuni word AP Food & Health Writer patties are served, whether meat makers.
pipsqueaks. for coyote. It dates back 92 NEW YORK (AP) — If you it's at Burger King , White HOW DO THEY TASTE?
Scientists have identified a million years, about 20 mil- want to skip meat, a new Castle or elsewhere. Taste is subjective, but re-
new cousin of the T. rex as a lion years before the T. rex era of options is here. At Umami Burger in New views generally say Beyond
dinosaur that only reached stomped the Earth. Beyond Meat and Impos- York, for example, a burger Meat and Impossible burg-
the 3-foot height of a tod- The newly discovered cous- sible Foods are among the with two Impossible patties, ers taste similar to meat.
dler. If it stretched its duck- in — which was three times companies racing to tap cheese and fixings tops Christian Acosta, who
billed head, an adult hu- longer than it was tall — into the massive U.S. mar- 1,000 calories. Few would works in New York, said he's
man maybe "would be weighed between 45 and ket of meat eaters by more call it healthy, especially had the Impossible burger
looking at it in the eye," 90 pounds, almost nothing closely mimicking the taste if served with fries and a several times and can't tell
said Sterling Nesbitt, a pa- compared to the nine-ton of beef than vegetarian soda. the difference.
leontologist at Virginia king of the dinosaurs. patties of the past. Others "People are going to be "It tastes exactly like meat,"
Tech, who discovered the Suskityrannus hazalae isn't are working to grow meat fooling themselves into he said, while waiting in line
dinosaur. the first or even smallest of in labs. thinking these are not just to get the burger for lunch.
Nesbitt found a set of its the Tyrannosaurus family So are the plant-based pat- better, but healthy," said Unlike with a steak, any
bones in 1998 when he was tree, but Nesbitt said it pro- ties better for you or for the Yoni Freedhoff, an obesity discrepancies in taste be-
16, while serving as a volun- vides the best example of planet? Here's what you expert at the University of tween beef and the plant-
teer on a dig in New Mex- how this family of modest- might want to know before Ottawa. based burgers may be
ico with a famed paleon- sized dinosaurs evolved taking a bite: People also may not realize masked by buns, cheese
tologist. But for about two into the towering horror of ARE THEY HEALTHIER? the saturated fat content and toppings. Both Beyond
decades, scientists weren't movies, television shows As with many questions can be similar to beef burg- Meat and Impossible Foods
certain what it was, until and nightmares. about diet, it depends. ers, he said. have also updated their
other small cousins of T. rex Smithsonian Institution pa- For better or worse, patties WHAT'S IN THEM? recipes, and may keep do-
were discovered. leobiologist Hans Sues, who from Beyond Meat and Im- Beyond Meat's ingredi- ing so to get even more like
"The small group of tyran- wasn't part of the study, possible Foods can be nu- ents include pea protein meat.
nosauroid dinosaurs would said it was an important tritionally similar to beef. and canola oil. Impossible HOW MUCH DO THEY COST?
give rise to some of the big- find. "Suskityrannus is the Beyond Meat's 4-ounce Food's patties have soy The idea is to eventually
gest predators that we've first really good record of patty is listed at 270 calories protein and coconut oil. make Beyond and Impos-
ever seen," said Nesbitt, the early tyrannosaurs in , while Impossible Foods' Impossible says its patties sible burgers cost the same
lead author of a study in North America," he wrote is listed at 240 calories . have a flavor and hue simi- or less than beef. For now,
Monday's journal Nature in an email.q Ground beef's nutritional lar to beef partly because expect to pay more.
profile can range, but a of soy leghemoglobin , At a Whole Foods in New
similarly sized patty with a protein the company York, two Beyond Meat
80% lean meat has around makes by genetically mod- patties cost $5.99, roughly
290 calories . ifying yeast. double the price of two
Protein content is about the The meat industry, mean- ground beef patties. Im-
same, while other nutrients while, is appealing to peo- possible burgers aren't yet
vary. Some may like that ple who prefer simpler in- available in grocery stores.
the plant-based patties gredient lists. But at a Bareburger res-
have fiber, but dislike that "A beef patty is one natu- taurant in New York, it's an
they're higher in sodium. ral ingredient: beef," says extra $3 for either of the
For overall diet, what mat- the North American Meat plant-based patties.q