Re: dino egg thickness revisited

[NEIL CLARK <NCLARK@museum.gla.ac.uk>]

Phil wrote:-

>   <it would be interesting to compare the shell pore density on 
modern
> crocodylian eggs, ostrich eggs, and the ?T. bataar eggs.  This may 
give us
> some clue as to what the _relative_ embryonic metabolisms are for 
these
> groups of archosaurs...at least, in my opinion>.  Oxygen uptake, 
you see...
>  
> 

Yes it would.  I have had trouble with this as the part of the shell that 
is exposed to the outside environment is often worn and difficult to 
read the pore density.  The main problem is that the inner layers are 
stuffed full of pores (I counted over 2,000 per square cm).  The main 
problem is deciding how many of these pores actually extend 
through to the outer layer.  Does anyone know whether there is a 
simple way of determining how many pores reach the outer surface if 
it is damaged?

Neil


Neil Clark
Curator of Palaeontology
Hunterian Museum
University of Glasgow
email: NCLARK@museum.gla.ac.uk

Mountains are found in erogenous zones.
(Geological Howlers - ed. WDI Rolfe)