Re: Typo (was Re: K/T Extinction & Birds)

[Tom Holtz <tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov>]

This was directed to me, but I'll answer to the net.

>From: art@acc.com (Art Berggreen)
>>>Actually, there are NO known toothed birds in the Mesozoic.
>>
>>Change "in" to "after".
>>
>>(oops)
>
>Are you sure about this?  In our local natural history museum is a large
>fossil bird excavated by Dr. Phil Orr in the fifties, from tertiary
>deposits (not many older around here).  I'd swear that it's a toothed
>bird, but it's been several years since I've stopped to look at it.
>Seems to me that it was in oligocene deposits.  I'll have to look
>into this more when I get a chance.

No bird of the Cenozoic has true teeth (thecodont implantation, enamel,
etc.).  However, at least one lineage of birds, and possibly more,
developed tooth-like projections on their beaks.  These pseudontorns
("false teeth birds") occur in the same marine deposits as a turtle species
which also has similar structures on its beak!

                                
                 Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.                  Phone: 703-648-5280      
                 Vertebrate Paleontologist         Fax:    703-648-5420
tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov ------------>       th81@umail.umd.edu
U.S. Geological Survey          ------------->       University of Maryland
Branch of Paleontology & Stratigraphy ---->       Department of Geology
MS 970 National Center
Reston, VA  22092               ------------->        College Park, MD  20742
                                                          U.S.A.