Re: Horn of plenty

[Pluto77189@aol.com]

styracosaurus's spiky frill is actually in a better place for intraspecific 
fighting than the nose horn.  I do not think they had necks as flexible as 
modern herd animals necessary to use them as such.  Look at ibex, oryx and 
other gazelle-looking ungulates, their horns point backwards too.  When locking 
horns, the animals lower their heads and the spike point towards each other, 
and the fight ensues.  

If they could lower their heads as such, I would think that that would be a 
VERY good intraspecific weapon.  

The ceratopsian horns were undoubtedly a display as well, as is most 
ornamentation in animals.  Bigger horns take time to grow, and are indicators 
of strength.  
My female deremensis will not acknoledge any other chameleon I have--but if she 
sees something green with horns look out.  when she's not ready to mate, she'll 
let him know.  they recognize the male's horns.

Most herd mammals with horns and antlers usually have a use for them other than 
intraspecific fighting.  Although deer antlers are better for male-male 
fighting than defense.  Rhinos use their horns all the time.  Cape buffalo use 
their for fending off predators.  when you see extreme dimorphism, as in white 
tailed deer, males only having antlers)it is a good indicator that the animal 
uses the onraments primarily for fighting other males.  Very few female 
chameleons have horns, and the ones that do tend to fight other females(which 
hornless ones don't, and usually get along).  Animals with horned males AND 
females have usually developed their horns for multi-use purposes.  (elephant 
tusks, rhino horns, buffalo horns)  They "USE" them a lot.  

As far as I know, there have been NO triceratops discovered with a significant 
difference in horn size indicative of sexual dimorphisim.  Even if females have 
reduced horns, they still have them.  This shows that they are there for a 
reason other than fighting one another.  they MIGHT have used that little nose 
horn for feeding(diggin stuff up or whatever) but those two others would 
probably be more useful for "largest predator on earth deterrent" than anythin 
else...