Re: theropod ears&tongues

[Ronald Orenstein <ornstn@home.com>]

At 08:46 PM 21/06/2000 -0400, Buckaroobwana@aol.com wrote:
> Greetings,
> I hope I didn't upset anyone, but my question about the appearance of dino
> ears went unanswered. I am trying to determine the most accurate appearance
> of the ear opening for some illustrations. Does anyone know of any good
> references on this topic. Also, was the theropod tongue fixed to the flooor
> of the mouth, as Greg Paul has stated, or could theropods move their tongues?
> I often draw meat eating dinos with a slavering lolling tongue and I'm
> curious if this is correct or not.
>                                             Thanks to whoever answers,
>                                                         Brian Buck

I would expect that it is not correct, purely on the basis that no bird has 
such a tongue. Bird tongues are highly variable in form and function, but 
not one has something that you could call very much like the mammalian 
version (perhaps a flamingo's comes closest).  For example, I do not know 
of any bird that has intrinsic musculature that can alter the tongue's 
shape; extension of the bird tongue is done by movement of the hyoid 
apparatus.  Also, in many birds the variations are in the covering 
epithelium, which often has a horny tip.

In fact birds that swallow their prey whole, like pelicans and some 
kingfishers, have a rudimentary tongue, as do ibises and spoonbills.  It 
may be that most theropods also had quite unobtrusive tongues.

Lolling, in any case, I would guess to be quite unlikely!


--
Ronald I. Orenstein                           Phone: (905) 820-7886
International Wildlife Coalition              Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116
1825 Shady Creek Court
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2          mailto:ornstn@home.com