Re: Omnivorous dinosaurs

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Dann Pigdon wrote:

> Ornithomimosaurs have been suggested to be omnivores mostly because they 
> were theropods (a primarily carnivorous grouping at the time) with no 
> specific carnivorous adaptations (such as sharp teeth or recurved claws). 
> They could still have swallowed small animals whole though. If so, they may 
> never have eaten much in the way of plant matter at all.

An omnivorous diet has been proposed for troodontids...

Holtz, T.R., Jr., Brinkman, D.L. and Chandler, C.L. ("1998" = 2000). 
Denticle morphometrics and a possibly omnivorous feeding habit for the 
theropod dinosaur _Troodon_. Gaia 15: 159-166.

http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/gaiatroo.pdf

Given the similarities in dental morphology, this may be true for 
therizinosauroids too.

I'd say basal dinosaurs/saurischians like _Eoraptor_ and maybe 
herrerasaurids might have been omnivorous.

Cheers

Tim

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