Re: Succhomimus (again)

["Jaime A. Headden" <qilongia@yahoo.com>]

Caleb Lewis wrote:

<I have recently printed out pictures of Succhomimus tenerensis
(forgive the spelling, I don't know if it's correct), primarily skull
and jaw pictures. I am assuming, judging from the structure, where the
jaw muscles would've been attachted to in life, the places where the
jaw muscles would've been attatched to in life appear pretty big,
which would suggest to me that the jaws of Succhomimus were pretty
powerful. I think that would help support my view that it was not
strictly, or even mostly, pescivourius. But I may be wrong!>

  Indeed, they look like huge strong jaws, except that the portions of
the jaws and skull to which these muscles would have attached are
either not preserved, not to well or complete enough to figure.
However, if the jaws were as robust and well muscled as Sereno et al.
has restored them, both in the paper and on the mount, I would hearken
you were correct in assuming their power.

  But if you were a, say, 200 lb. lungfish, and were being snapped at
by a giant croc-mimic (for instance) and the latter has really slender
and long jaws (for who knows why) then extra big muscles would be a
benefit to eating fish. But you are correct, it would seem odd to
evolve really long jaws and then the muscles to support those jaws and
the fish you caught when shorter jaws would do.

  Anyone?
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