Re: Venomous archosaurs

[dbensen <dbensen@gotnet.net>]

I would be VERY surprised if we found a venomous archosaur.  Few reptiles have
the stuff (snakes being the notable exception, but relatively few in species
compared to the rest of reptilia), only one species of bird (that I know of) has
it (you referred to this bird in your email) and only one group of mammals, the
monotremes have it.  The proteins  that make a neurotoxin are very complex and I
doubt they'd evolve readily.  It might be conceivable that a dinosaur would
cough up stomach acid on its food to pre-digest it (although, now that I think
of it, the stones in the crop would do a better job) and there is a pretty good
chance that bacteria living in the teeth might infect the wound and thereby lead
to death soon after being bitten (Tyrannosaurus has been said to have that
ability).  How would one find fossilized evidence of venom, anyway.  Suspicious
channels in the mouth could be used for lots of different things.  Would there
be any foolproof way of detecting venom (if we were really lucky, would the
glands fossilize like the liver of Scipionyx?)

Dan