Re: Sinosauropteryx at Dinofest

[Betty Cunningham <bettyc@flyinggoat.com>]

Allan Edels wrote:
>   One of the points that Larry Martin made that is difficult to dispute,
> is,  if we look at the dark material in the eye socket of _Sinosauropteryx_
> (presumably eye material), we do not see any distortion such as suggested by
> Phil Currie and Greg Paul (ie. the 'road-kill' remarks)  His point is - that
> implies that there is therefore no distortion of the internal body cavity.
> (This is intended to bolster his group's claim that the dark feature seen in
> the body is the liver).

Eyes are usually the first thing to be eaten by scavenging
invertebrates.  It's been my observation that eyes do not survive in
modern roadkills any longer than 24 hours after death.  So this
interment must have completly covered the individual within that amount
of time.  Is there signs of such a rapid interment?  Or alternatively,
are there signs all the scavenging invertebrates in the area were also
killed at the same time as the birds and dinos (leaving nothing left to
eat the eyes out)?

-Betty Cunningham
(who, after all, still collects dead things)