Re: News Flash: Ungulates and Dinosaurs Together 80 million Years Ago (fwd)

[swf@srva01-15.psych.upenn.edu (Stan Friesen)]

From: Betty Cunningham <bettyc@flyinggoat.com>

 > > > The teeth had the flat, squared grinding surfaces
 > > > similar to what is found now in the teeth of herbivores. Archibald
 > > > said that fossils from 65 million years ago ...
 > 
 >    ok, but-um- I seem to remember a NOVA special on genetics that
 > discussed how the cow's stomach (what makes a cow an ungulate) was
 > developed to process grasses into more easily digestable stuff for the
 > animal's system to cope with, ONLY GRASSES WEREN"T AROUND AT THE TIME
 > if these are 'ungulate' teeth, right?

There may not have been grasses, but there was plenty of coarse grazing
available: ferns, some rather grass-like monocots, Isoetales, and so on.

So, finding something suitable for such teeth is not really a problem.

swf@elsegundoca.ncr.com         sarima@ix.netcom.com

The peace of God be with you.