Re: dino-lizers

[David Marjanovic <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>]

>  2) Small theropods are apparently found w/ bone preserved in the gut
>  rather frequently.

Four times is not "rather frequently", is it? Can we do meaningful 
statistics with such small sample sizes?

Importantly, preserved gut contents other than bone are just about never 
preserved. Likewise, coprolites don't seem to contain anything 
identifiable other than bone, pollen/spores and/or phytoliths.

>  3) Large theropods are apparently [...] NOT found w/ large bones
>  preserved in the gut, but some smaller bones are known (e.g.,
>  fishbones in Baryonyx).

Correct. IIRC, there's also an iguanodontian vertebra in *Baryonyx*.

>  A relevant question is: have small bones been found in the gut
>  regions of Cretaceouc crocodilians? If the answer "no", then I would
>  think the presence of small bones in various theropod guts are a
>  indication (albeit counter-intuitive) of a primarily predatory
>  lifestyle/digestive system.

Why? Crocodiles have legendary stomach acids.

The argument against terrestrial obligatory scavengers remains the one 
from that lifestyle being a net loss of energy.