Re: New troodontid in PLoS ONE

[Matthew Martyniuk <martyniuk@gmail.com>]

The reporter seems to have gotten a little confused... From the paper:
"Troodontid possessing a maxilla with extensive pneumatization
internal to the antorbital fossa, inflating the bone so that it has a
triangular cross-section;"

That is, the bone is inflated by a static pneumatic cavity. It was not
inflatable like a balloon.

--Matt

On Fri, Dec 17, 2010 at 5:42 AM, Brad McFeeters
<archosauromorph2@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >From the Salt Lake Tribune 
> >(http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50883308-76/utah-kirkland-dinosaur-species.html.csp):
>
>> State paleontologist Jim Kirkland, who co-authored the paper and was at the 
>> site when the discovery was made,
>> said the jawbone is hollow and could be inflated âlike a balloon.â Kirkland 
>> said he is unaware of such a
>> characteristic in other fossilized dinosaurs and can only speculate on its 
>> purpose. âThereâs no clue what it was
>> used for,â he said. âMaybe it was some kind of resonating chamber for 
>> vocalization.â
>
> It's life imitating *Jurassic Park III*! ;)
>
> Also, the "tro-odon" from Bakker's *Raptor Red* now corresponds to a real 
> dinosaur.
>
>