Re: Endotherms and reproduction

[Betty Cunningham <bettyc@flyinggoat.com>]

Since birds and crocodiles are both internal, wouldn't it stand to
reason that dinosaurs would retain everything internally also?

Wasn't there a recent discussion about a found theropod imprint in a
sitting position?  Wouldn't that reveal a cloaca or scrotum impression?

-Betty

Dann Pigdon wrote:
> Martin Human wrote:
> > So, (tongue firmly in cheek) can anyone say a) why the need in mammals
> > vs. any other endothermic creature, or b) can we deduce birds are
> > actually ectothermic or c) did dinos sport a scrotum?

> Just to make it clear at the outset, I don't really have any of the
> answers. Engage speculation drive, warp factor eight...
<snip>
> That said, some species of mammals seem to have internal testes (the
> cetaceans for example). Perhaps early on in archosaur evolution there
> was a need to have them internally, to reduce the bulk or perhaps the
> aero/aquadynamic characteristics of the body. I'm also assuming that
> mammalian and archosaur endothermy is achieved by different chemical
> means? Perhaps the mammalian endothermic condition resulted in the need
> for external gonads, a need that was never present in any other
> endothermic lines of evolution.
> 
> All the same, could you imagine the sheer dumb-founding awe of a
> sauropod scrotum?

-- 
         --------------
  PALEONEWS the mailing list!
Subscribing and other list information 
is at: http://www.paleonews.org
         --------------
Original PALEONEWS list subscribers will 
need to electronically RE-SUBSCRIBE as I will 
be shutting down the OLD method of handling 
PALEONEWS distribution as of 
------- September 1st, 2000

If you're not subscribed, you don't get PALEONEWS

Flying Goat Graphics
http://www.flyinggoat.com/

Captivation Digital Labs
http://www.captivation.com/

(Society of Vertebrate Paleontology member)
-------------------------------------------<,D,><