Re: beaks and teeth

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

Archosaur J wrote:

<How about ramphorynchoids. They had beaks and teeth.>

  Rhamphorynchid taxa like *Angustinaripterus* and *Droygnathus* had
teeth all the way up to the front of the snout, except for a short
region of the premaxillary and mandibular symphyses; I wouldn't think
there'd be much of a functional beak present, if any at all. However,
tell-tales of fleshy covering (i.e. foramina) are mostly not present
in pterosaurs except the much more primitive *Dimorphodon*- and
*Eudimorphodon*-grade ones. Only *Rhamphorhynchus* seems to have had
an elongate edentulous region that has, in one specimen I can note,
the impression of a "beak" on both lower and upper jaws. But Rhampho
is very derived from other rhamphorhynchid or rhamphorhynchoid
pterosaurs, so the condition may be unique for him, or not.

  My doubtlessly amateurish opinion.

==
- Often, it is the man who is brought
  down the path to the end who does
  not see his own steps. -

Jaime A. Headden

Qilong, the website, at:
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