Beak shapes (was Re: Oviraptor)

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Jaime Headden wrote:
> 
> The shape of the flamingo's bill is suited best to scooping. Why the
> bill was bent downward so the bird would have to turn its head upside
> down to feed I don't know---turning upward, however, may have ruined its
> aerodynamic qualities when in flight; also, the filters of the upper jaw
> could just as easily been shifted to the lower jaw. But a scoop-feeding
> *Oviraptor*....
> 
> Jaime A. Headden
> 
>
And yet there were pterosaurs (pterodaustro?) that had up-turned
beaks, complete with great fans of filters. Presumably they were
able to fly well enough, so perhaps aerodynamics are not the most
important aspect to the shape of flamingo beaks. Ancient flamingos
had more-or-less straight beaks. A curved beak may have allowed
a greater surface area with which to filter while not resulting in
a beak that was too long and unwieldly. Perhaps a slight downcurving
gave some sort of selective advantage thus, and the downward direction
was simply the luck of the mutational draw.
-- 
____________________________________________________
        Dann Pigdon
        Melbourne, Australia

        Dinosaur Reconstructions:
        http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/4459/
        Australian Dinosaurs:
        http://www.alphalink.com.au/~dannj
____________________________________________________