Re: Titanosaur eggs

["John V Jackson" <jjackson@interalpha.co.uk>]

--Original Message-- From: Betty Cunningham <bettyc@flyinggoat.com> 21
November 1998 08:15



>in MAMMALS the juvenile face is preadapted for cuteness.  That is -
>large eyes and snubby snout.  This triggeres nurtering behavior.  These
>facial proportions grow out/become the adult morph usually within the
>first year (us humans are genetically deficient in this)
>
>This juvenile face structure is not a survival trait commonly found in
>BIRDS (baby birds being some of the ugliest damn things you ever saw)
>but is found in CROCODILES.
>
>Maiasaurs at least seem to show the large eyes and snubby snout in the
>juveniles, but that's no guarantee across species lines.  So it's tough
>to say whether sauropod juveniles would show this 'cuteness' trait or
>show the fully adult morph of the skull.  These are the first ones after
>all.
>
>-Betty


It seems reasonable to assume that 'cuteness' is nature's way of making
something behave kindly to what it sees with those features.  Any animals
showing parental care are likely to see features characteristic of their
young as cute, but those characteristics will vary widely across species.  A
songbird, if it could talk, might say "In humans the juvenile face is not
preadapted for cuteness.  That is - a bright red wide open mouth with bright
yellow lips."  In rats, "essence of cuteness" is likely to be the smell
of... well, we needn't dwell on that.  Suffice it to say that the definition
of cuteness varies with the species of 'eyes' you're looking through.