Re: Pachyrhinosaur nasal horn? (was RE: OMEISAUR CLUBS, PACHYRHINOSAUR)

["Jordan Mallon" <j_mallon@hotmail.com>]

> From: Danvarner@aol.com

> I recall seeing a photo of a dorsal view of a Styracosaurus skull that
> appeared to have a small pit above each orbit. It may have been S.
> albertensis and the pub may have been Lull, 1933. I was intrigued by >this 
> and it reminded me of Pachyrhinosaurus. Has anyone noticed this >or is it 
> failng memory on my part?

No, it's very much a common occurence in ceratopsids, in fact (another 
example is seen in the type skull of _Chasmosaurus irvinensis_).  I was 
talking to Dr. Holmes about this while I was working in the CMN collections 
just last week.  It seems, he mentioned, that as these dinosaurs grew older, 
they had a tenency to 'resorb' their horn cores.  Neither of us could come 
up with an explanation as to why, however.

Jordan Mallon

http://www.geocities.com/paleoportfolio/
AIM: jslice mallon

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