Re: More on the Massospondylus embryos

[Jura <pristichampsus@yahoo.com>]

--- "Jaime A. Headden" <qilongia@yahoo.com> wrote:

> 
>   The authors note that the jaws possess open
> alveoli and at least one tooth is
> suggested as an erupted, but loose, crown. I
> previously mentioned a possible
> loose tooth in one skeleton, whereas the authors
> refer to another jaw. This
> suggests the animals hatched with teeth. Lack of
> epiphyseal fusion, carpal or
> tarsal ossification, suggests the hatchlings were
> altricial, and a supposedly
> hatched egg in the hatch of 6 suggests the nest was
> close to fully hatching,
> thus implying parental care for some period of time.
> 
>   Cheers,
> 
> Jaime A. Headden

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

How do the embryos compare to the _Maiasaura_
hatchlings that were once thought to be altricial?

Jason

"I am impressed by the fact that we know less about many modern [reptile] types 
than we do of many fossil groups." - Alfred S. Romer

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