Re: Skull crests

["paleo_mont" <paleo_mont@excite.com>]

 --- On Mon 07/15, Rob Gay  wrote:
From: Rob Gay [mailto: rob@dinodomain.com]
To: dinosaur@usc.edu
Date: Mon 07/15
Subject: Re: Skull crests

"Does anyone think that ceratopsians used
their frills as thermoregulatory devices? In the animals with open frill 
fenestrae,  the flesh would certainly act as a better conductor of heat than  
bone."


There was a paper out there that proposed it, using Triceratops, and Oxygen 
18/19 isotopes if i recall right. Is a possiblity that one of the functions was 
for cooling the beasts down. Though any appendage or  anything sticking out of 
the head or body can work as a radiator. There is probally another 
thermoregulatory paper out there as well dealing with ceratiopsians as well.  
Though the main use was probally sexual display & dimorphism and defensive 
uses, and killing therapods :) .

Cheers,

K.Wicks



"Vir sapit qui pauca loquitur."







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