These structures aren't cheeks,they're called ''the cere.''They are functionally different from cheeks as well,as they serve as a joint between the skull and the unattached beak.It's the cere that allows parrots to be even more efficient eaters and processors of food then they allready are with their usually strong beaks,muscled and flexible tongue,intelligence and ''food-in-foot''-method.The cere means the parrot can move it's beak in a number of ways that go beyond what other birds can do.They certainly don't serve as cheeks however,as they aren't ment to store food in.From: meor hakif <hakif23@yahoo.com> Reply-To: hakif23@yahoo.com To: dinosaur@usc.edu Subject: Parrot cheeks Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 19:55:15 -0700 (PDT)
I've been looking at several parrot skulls and faces. They seem to have some kind of 'cheek' surrounding the mouth just behind the beak. In other birds, this part is cheekless but possesses lips or some sort of horny covering. Could this cheek-like structure be similar to those interpreted for ornithischians? Is it muscle or ligament or skin?...any ideas? Meor Hakif Geology Dept. Univ. Malaya
Brian
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