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Jaime A.
Headden wrote:
>Mark
Hallett (MarkSabercat@aol.com) wrote:
> ><Apart from the interpretation of the maxillary and dentary >[foramina] in determining whether dinosaurs had fleshy coverings over >the teeth, there is another very practical problem that affects this >issue: conservation of body moisture and exclusion to some degree of >ectoparasites.> > > This is indeed a practical consideration, but the emphasis has been >on finding an osteological reason for them, and so far this is not >known. We can hypothesis their presecence for the reasons Mark >states, but I cannot consider this an overwhelmning consideration in >light of the extant phylogenetic bracket >the bet we can get is a lizard-like set of lips.... Why do we
need osteological evidence? We may never find it anyway. Although it
may be good to find it. Sometimes we just need to think about what is practical.
For now I say that dinosaurs HAD lips and that is what I will say, unless,
we find (definate) contradicting evidence.
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