Re: The Face of Death

[Eric Allen <erallen@yahoo.com>]

Short answer:  in some specimens, the rugosities are
fused to the skull, and in others they aren't.  Why
this is is not known.  Perhaps it is ontogenetic, or
dimorphic, or just plain old variation among
individuals.

Eric Allen
Ph.D. canidate, U of Iowa

--- Dinosaur World <dinoworld@msn.com> wrote:

> Thanks Mike.
> Any idea why it is a separate piece that is not
> actually attached to the 
> skull? It has a concave back that appears to be
> smooth, rather than being 
> fused or sutured to the skull. Is this a flaw in the
> reproduction or is 
> there something I am not getting?
> 
> 
> From: "T. Michael Keesey" <keesey@gmail.com>
> Reply-To: keesey@gmail.com
> To: Dinosaur Mailing List <dinosaur@usc.edu>
> Subject: Re: The Face of Death
> Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 17:27:36 -0700
> 
> On 4/26/06, Dinosaur World <dinoworld@msn.com>
> wrote:
>  > I have a replica of the skull of Stan, the
> Tyrannosaurus. He has, what
>  > appears to be, brow horns (Postorbital
> rugosity?), over each orbit. Is it
>  > possible for these to be moved or manipulated to
> alter the "expression" 
> of
>  > the face? Could a Tyrannosaur use facial
> expression to threaten or
>  > intimidate a rival?
> 
> No, it's bone. It can only be "manipulated" by
> bashing it in or breaking it 
> off.
> 
> Sauropsids (birds and reptiles) aren't generally as
> facially
> expressive as mammals, and we simian primates are
> especially facially
> expressive.
> --
> Mike Keesey
> The Dinosauricon: http://dino.lm.com
> Parry & Carney: http://parryandcarney.com
> 
> 
> 


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