Re: Yo!

[Rich Travsky <RTRAVSKY@UWYO.EDU>]

On Fri, 17 Mar 1995, Tom Holtz wrote:
> [...]
> The "nasalthingie" on Brachiosaurus is the nostril region.  In all
> sauropods, the nostrils are placed fairly high up on the skull, but
> Brachiosaurus (at least, and maybe other brachiosaurids) have them
> protruded fairly high up.
> 
> As Betty noted, the water pressures would be too extreme for those openings
> to be used as a snorkel.  A possilbe reason for the position may have to do
> with feeding - the snout could reach into the foliage of trees to chomp off
> (but NOT chew!!) a piece, but the nostrils wouldn't be choked by the other
> leaves.  A variant on this (which might work for diplodocoids, but not for
> the more giraffe-like euhelopodids and brachiosaurids) would let the
> sauropod reach into very shallow water to pull up food, while the nostrils
> would still be exposed to air.
> 
> Other thoughts?
> 
Is there any evidence to support the notion that Brach. had a nasal
appendage of some kind, not a trunk, more like an elephant seal?
Muscle attachments?

+---------+    Richard Travsky   RTRAVSKY @ UWYO . EDU
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