[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index][Subject Index][Author Index]

Could Dinosaurs have ears?



I folks,

I was siting down with my nephew Andrew looking through my Dinosaur Fact 
Finder, companion book to PBS's Dinosaurs, and the Dino Society Encyclopedia.
Well, Andrew noticed that Dinosaurs never have ears.  Flehsy ears like 
elephants, dogs, bats, etc.  I explained that Dinos aren't mamals, that 
they are reptiles, or at least a close relative.  I then pointed out that 
snakes, lizards, turtles don't have fleshy ears either.  So Andrew points 
out to uncle Greg that there are ear holes in the sculls of both 
dinosaurs and mammals that look the same, so how do we really know that 
they did not have ears like dogs.  Boy it must be tough being a dad.  
Anyway, I then told him that muscle attatches to bone via tendons and 
that these tendons usually leave marks in the bone.  I then pointed out 
that aside from humans most mammals probably have some muscular control 
over ear movement, so one might expect to see the tendon marks on the 
skull around the ear.  Then he asks "did they?"  I told him I didn't know.
So now that you all know the whole story, Andrew and I would like to know 
what evidence there is to support dinosaurs having or not having fleshy ears.
Boy this seems silly.......:)

        Greg Claytor
        greg1@svpal.org