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Question: Why did birds lose their teeth?
Dear all,
I once learned that losing teeth was a weight-saving measure and thus
a flight adaptation. There is this reference stating this as a possibility
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18248-early-birds-may-have-dropped-teeth-to-get-airborne.html#.Ux3HhdsjulM
However, I seem to remember that there was some study showing that
birds actually do not lose signifcant weight by replacing teeth with
beaks - if anybody has a reference on this, I'd be grateful.
Thanks a lot,
Martin.
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Martin Bäker
Institut für Werkstoffe
Technische Universität Braunschweig
Langer Kamp 8
38106 Braunschweig
Germany
Tel.: 00-49-531-391-3065 <=== NEW phone number!
Fax 00-49-531-391-3058
e-mail <martin.baeker@tu-bs.de>
http://www.tu-braunschweig.de/ifw/institut/mitarbeiter/roesler1
http://www.scienceblogs.de/hier-wohnen-drachen