RE: Raptor Red and Heyday Of The Giants

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> David Marjanovic
>
> > To quote from the piece: "Curiously out of place are the unnamed 
> > diplodocid
> > (at least Bakker now
> > recognizes that they did make it into the Cretaceous),"

This is a reference to comments in Dinosaur Heresies that diplodocoids 
("tripodal sauropods") died out at the Jurassic.

> Another quote:
> "Bakker is apparently unaware (or chooses to ignore) the abundant evidence 
> that ammonoids did not have muscular tentacles nor a biting mouth, but 
> instead a fringe of small tentacles and an aptychus for filtration and 
> protection"
> 
> I have no idea about the tentacles. But ammonoids did have upper jaws. The 
> paleontologist-in-chief of the museum here is one of the people who have 
> found some, starting a few years ago. 
> 
Jaws, yes.  But not a "biting mouth", or certainly not a strongly biting mouth 
a la Nautilus and coleoids.

Please note, though: that review is TEN YEARS OLD!

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
        Mailing Address:
                Building 237, Room 1117
                College Park, MD  20742  
     
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
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Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
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