Re: Dixie the Dino

[Stan Friesen <swf@ElSegundoCA.ATTGIS.COM>]

>From: wraddatz@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us (Warren Raddatz)
 > ...is there any thought given to the possibility of
 > live birth in dinos?

Yes, it has been considered.  At best it is speculative at this
time.  The only positive evidence we have is for oviparity (egg-
laying).  We have eggs from a fair number of different dinosaurs
subgroups, but we have *no* instances of embryonic dinos in
internal position relative to a possible parent.

[There *is* this sort of evidence for ichthyosaurs].

Also, there are some large eggs of unclear affinities of the right
age to be sauropod eggs.

 > Some herps have live birth and she just looks so big
 > and the egg is so small.  I have vauge questions about growth rates,
 > altricial vs. precocial babies etc

Known dinosaur eggs and embryos span the range from altricial
to precocial hatching.


Thus, the current best evidence generally favors egg-laying in
dinosaurs, though this does not rule out live birth in some
dinosaurs.

swf@elsegundoca.attgis.com              sarima@netcom.com

The peace of God be with you.