Re: theropod sunglasses?

["Jordan Mallon" <j_mallon@hotmail.com>]

   You're right, but the Peregrin falcon, for example, uses a dark 
stripe under the eye  to cut down on glare.  Is the sun that much more 
intense, the higher up you go?  The sidewinder lives in desert-like 
conditions, where the sun can be blistering ( the snake is constantly 
bouncing across the sand to keep from burning its belly.)  And I imagine 
the glare of the sun off of the sand would be pretty intense too.

-  Jordan Mallon


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>       Wed, 01 Jul 1998 17:45:52 PDT
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>From: "Matthew Troutman" <m_troutman@hotmail.com>
>To: dinosaur@usc.edu, j_mallon@hotmail.com
>Subject: Re: theropod sunglasses?
>Content-Type: text/plain
>Date: Wed, 01 Jul 1998 17:45:52 PDT
>
>
>>   I am rather surprised I haven't heard this before, ( has it been 
>>mentioned?) but I think the big hornlets above the eyes if the large 
>>theropods ( Allosaurus, Carnotaurus, etc...) could have been used to 
>>block out the Mesozoic sun.  Today's sidewinder snake has adopted 
>>similar protrusions above its eyes and they seem to do just fine at 
>>protecting the eyes from the sun.  Does anyone think this is a valid 
>>idea?
>
>The same thing is seen in all falconiforms, but I doubt that it would 
be 
>of use to theropods since theropods did not fly up in the air where the 
>sun is more intense.
>
>Matt Troutman
>
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