Re: PISANOSAURUS

[jconrad@lib.drury.edu]

--On Tuesday, September 15, 1998, 4:13 PM +0000 Philidor11@aol.com wrote: 

> How was it classified as a plant eater and propubic?

Sorry, for the incomplete post.  I personally do not necessarily agree that
all basal ornithischians were pure plant eaters.  Conversations with
ecologist Dr. Wendy Anderson have suggested to me that many of the animals
in the fossil record normally assumed to be strict herbivores were possibly
omnivorous.  It is true that animals like _Lesothosaurus_, _Pisanosaurus_,
and even _Heterodontosaurus_ have teeth that would be suitable for eating
plant material, but the conical or caniniform teeth of _Lesothosaurus_ and
_Heterodontosaurus_ seem to suggest something more than plants in the diet. 
I believe that a few list members have mentioned suspicions that basal and
perhaps advanced ceratopsids were omnivorous.  Is it not likely that these
basal ornithischians had a diet following partial or mostly herbivory but
were also insectivores, detritivores, or carnivores?  

Just a thought, let me know if you have an opinion.  =)

Jack Conrad