Re: Dromaeosaur "sickle" claws

[Cory Pittman <cory@cet.com>]

> On Wed, 27 Aug 1997 11:02:12 -0700 (PDT) Dennis C Hwang
> <dchwang@itsa.ucsf.edu> writes:

<snip>

> Dromaeosaur claws (and, I would suspect, the vast majority of animal
> claws) would cause lacerations.  I can't think of anything in nature 
> that would produce something I could call an incision.

The defensive spines on the caudal peduncles of the aptly named
surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae) are capable of making incisions with almost
"scalpel-like" efficiency. The spines are also shaped much like a
scalpel in that they are not serrated but have the cutting edge on the
convex side.

Just a note from the marine end of things.

Back to lurking.

Cory Pittman
cory@cet.cet.com