Re: Drinker and Oryctodromeus (was Re: Dinosaurs burrowed to keep warm)

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Dino Guy Ralph writes: 

> There is some evidence for a psittacosaur burrow -- the 34 hatchling
> specimens associated with the _Psittacosaurus_ adult reported in _Nature_
> were situated in a bowl-like depression, and it has been suggested that they
> may have been buried alive en masse inside a collapsed burrow.   
>
> See http://dml.cmnh.org/2004Sep/msg00095.html and
> http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6377 

Do biologists make the distinction between burrows and dens? I've always 
thought of a 'burrow' as an extensive network of tunnels (like a rabbit 
warren or badger set), whereas many non-tunneling animals (canids, hyaenas, 
bears, etc) will construct less-extensive dens. 

I can see important physiological and behavioural differences between 
animals that spend a large proportion of their time underground, and those 
that shelter occasionally in dens. Personally, I wouldn't call the latter 
'burrowers', especially if the species in question only uses the den at 
certain times of year for a specific purpose (bears hybernating, or canids 
rearing pups, as examples). 

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Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist         http://www.geocities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia        http://heretichides.soffiles.com
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