Theropod and Bird Teeth

[smithjb@sas.upenn.edu (Joshua Smith)]

> >Here's another killer-point for Larry Martin to ponder:
> >The teeth of Protoarchaeopteryx have serrations.
> >All early bird teeth lack serrations.  Serrated
> >teeth are found in meat-eating theropods except compies and
> >coelophysids.  In the past, Martin has been voiciferous
> >regarding the similarity of early bird teeth with the teeth of
> >crocodiloforms. 

A little more complicated than that.

_Eoraptor_ doesn't have denticles on the "anterior" premaxillary carinae, 
but does on the "posterior."

_Herrerasaurus_ doesn't have "anterior" mandibular denticle on all of its 
crowns, but does have "posterior" ones.

While Colbert (1989) described the normal premaxillary condition for 
_Coelophysis_ as lacking denticles on either carina, I have seen 
_Coelophysis_ premaxillary crowns with denticles.

_Ceratosaurus_ lacks premaxillary denticles.

Not all spinosaurids have or lack denticles.

I am sure I read a paper a while back by Wellenhofer where he figured 
_Archaeopteryx_ dentition with denticles on the "anterior" carinae, 
because I remember thinking that that was pretty cool and surprizing.  
However, I haven't filed that paper yet and I cannot seem to located it 
right now.  Damn! Damn!


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