Re: The "terror bird" earns its name

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

On Thu, Aug 19th, 2010 at 10:46 AM, GUY LEAHY <xrciseguy@q.com> wrote:

> The projected killing technique sounds like something out of a horror 
> movie... :-)
>  
> http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011856
                                          
The hooked tip of the skull itself looks nasty enough, but imagine how much 
further the keratin 
sheath would have extended it. Perhaps the tip of the lower jaw could have also 
functioned as a 
plunging stiletto blade. If so, then either a quick downward plunge of the 
upper tip, or a forward 
thrust of the mandible, could have delivered deep and nasty punctures without 
risking too much 
lateral stress on the skull. Ouch.

-- 
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Dann Pigdon
Spatial Data Analyst               Australian Dinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia               http://home.alphalink.com.au/~dannj
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