RE: Triceratops Skull

["paul sparks" <psparks@crosslink.net>]

dhughes@ualberta.ca
Cc: dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: Re: Triceratops Skull

Shara (sdhughes) wrote:

> I have recently attended a introductory University course on the
evolution of
SNIP

I have spent some time looking into the resources I have and it seems to
me that the frill primarily provides a balance to the large skull. I do
SNIP


Contrary to the prevailing idea that the frills were heavy is incorrect.
The
frill is vascular and actually light. I doubt very much the frill acted
as a
counter balance to the front of the skull. The majority of ceratopia
have
fenestera which also lightens the frill. The front of the skull also
isn't
as 'heavy' as people believe. It is typical dinosaurian and quite
hollow.
The bases of the horns are hollow and I know there is current research
being
done on the purpose of this.
The muscles didn't attach to the ends of the frill, but attached just
behind
the supratemporal fenestrae (typical for dinosaurs). I did an article
for
Dinosaur World on Ceratopian Stance and talked about the skull (Dinosaur
World, v. 1, n. 3, p. 12-17.)

Tracy L. Ford
P. O. Box 1171
Poway Ca  92074

Although I am sure that you are correct, has anyone ever taken a
measurement of the skull weights fore and aft so to speak and tried to
include whatever muscle might be included. You sort of opened the door
by stating that the front of the skull is not as heavy as one might
think. I guess I'm not quite ready to let this go. If the animal grazed
then I don't see the leverage required to hold his head correctly. Never
has such a heavy head been put in place with a universal joint. Hmmm.

Over 
Paul