Re: My opinion on dinosaur lips

["Andy Farke" <andyfarke@hotmail.com>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Marjanovic" <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>
To: "The Dinosaur Mailing List" <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2001 9:15 AM
Subject: My opinion on dinosaur lips


>Teeth that
> extend beyond the dentary are not incompatible with lips as shown by
> saber-toothed cats, elephants etc.. Keeping the teeth from desiccating is,
> however, probably worth some effort: in the 19th century ivory traders
> preferred forest elephants because their tusks don't have fissures.

Perhaps this question has already been addressed on-list. . .but how long
does it take for these fissures to develop? Elephants have a lifetime of
exposure for their tusks--theropods had to wait only until the next tooth
comes in.

Andy

_______________________________
Andrew A. Farke
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
501 East St. Joseph Street
Rapid City, SD  57701

andyfarke@hotmail.com