Re: Ceratonykus braincase described

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

On Thu, Apr 28th, 2011 at 4:58 AM, Augusto Haro <augustoharo@gmail.com> wrote:

> Nice... good eyesight seems not very suggestive of social insect
> hunting or excavation in general... Although it is not said how good
> sight it had relative to the non-alvarezsaur ancestral state.

Then again, keen hearing would be very useful for an animal that hunts hidden 
insect prey. There'd 
be no point wasting energy ripping open a log or a termite mound if there was 
nothing inside it.

It seems that alvarezsaurs had such an eclectic mixture of apparently 
mis-matched traits that 
trying to deduct their lifestyles based solely on physical practicalities may 
be nigh on impossible. 
Whereas a few hours of direct behavioural observation would probably tell us a 
lot.

What's the point of even having physicists if they can't develop something as 
simple as time 
travel? :-)

> 2011/4/27 bh480@scn.org <bh480@scn.org>:
> > From: Ben Creisler
> >
> > V. R. Alifanov and S. V. Saveliev (2011)
> > Brain structure and neurobiology of Alvarezsaurians (Dinosauria),
> > exemplified by Ceratonykus oculatus (Parvicursoridae) from the Late
> > Cretaceous of Mongolia.
> > Paleontological Journal 45(2): 183-190,
> > DOI: 10.1134/S0031030111020031
> >
> > http://www.springerlink.com/content/e414833v04418u08/
> >
> > A natural braincase cast of the Late Cretaceous dinosaur Ceratonykus
> > oculatus (Parvicursoridae, Alvarezsauria) is described. The brain of this
> > species is constructed based on the reptilian archetype without
> > dorsoventral curvatures. In the midbrain, the optic lobes are displaced
> > ventrolaterally and the acoustic lobes are very large and adjoin rostrally
> > the telencephalon. The cerebellum is bifid and transversely expanded. The
> > complex of the metencephalon and myelencephalon narrows laterally. Some of
> > the characters listed are not typical of the majority of extant and extinct
> > sauropsids. It is concluded that alvarezsaurians had good eyesight and keen
> > hearing and their ancestors were characterized by elements of an arboreal
> > mode of life.

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