Re: Dinosaur beaks

["Andrew A. Farke" <andyfarke@hotmail.com>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jaime A. Headden" <qilongia@yahoo.com>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Cc: <MariusRomanus@aol.com>
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 9:14 PM
Subject: Re: Dinosaur beaks

Jaime Headden wrote:

> in BIG beaks, such as phororhacids, gastornithids, etc.. Greg Paul has
> used the suggestion of a highly foraminated premaxilla and rostral dentary
> (1988, _Predatory Dinosaurs of the World_, discussion on *Ornitholestes*
> and *Velociraptor*) to support applying a rhamphotheca, but it has been my
> own observation and examination of de-keratinized beaks that this
> condition does not relate unequivocally or even generally to beak
> placement.

You see similar things in Majungatholus and related theropods, too! This
gets back to the basic question, "Does the presence of extensive foramina
and vascular impressions necessarily imply a keratinous sheath?"

Andy
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Andrew A. Farke
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Box P301
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E-mail: andyfarke@hotmail.com