Re: When Mosasaurs Swam in North America

[Mike Everhart <mike@oceansofkansas.com>]

Dang!  Never thought I'd get pulled into answering a dinosaur question.

> > On 18 Jul 2001, Mike Everhart wrote:
> > Kinetic skull    Yes, and lower jaw            [T. rex] Yes

> I was under the impression that the only movable joint on a T. rex's
> skull was the mandible-skull joint, in other words, that they did not
> have kinetic skulls.  Is this true?

-Demetrios Vital

According to what I've heard from Chris Brochu and others, and from
looking at the skulls of "Sue" and "Stan" up close, it seems apparent
that T. rex skulls had quite a bit of flexiblity built into them ....
better to safely absorb the forces necessary to bite through bone.

However, there are better qualified people to answer this .....


Mike E.