Re: Poison thero-teeth?

["Demetrios M. Vital" <vita0015@umn.edu>]

Okay, in light of all of this, is it still reasonable to say that theropods
have no external oral glands, and consequently, no lips?

And what other developmental problems have been identified?

Also, to cover my own behind, I did say in previous posts (I think) that
theropods didn't have venomous external oral glands, not that it was
impossible for them to be venomous.  I hope that does it... :)

-Demetrios Vital

On 24 Jul 2001, Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. wrote:
> Ummm... Actually, there are other taxa that seem to be basal to
> eumaniraptorans (such as the Zuni critter) in which this condition is
also
> present.  Additionally, many Jurassic and Triassic theropod taxa have not
> been examined in detail to see if this condition is present or not.
>
> I would agree that the tooth is theropod, but I would be cautious beyond
> that.  I will admit that the tooth is VERY weird: it does not merely have
a
> groove, it has an anti-carina.  That is, where there should be a
posterior
> carina with serrations, there is a posterior groove with negative-relief
> anti-serration pits.
>
> Given that some theropods (tyrannosaurids jump to mind) can have some
really
> weird developmental errors in serration or carinal morphology, I would be
> very much more secure in accepting that this is a non-pathological
condition
> if someone found more of them.