RE: Carnivorous ceratopsids?

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

Coupled with that is the fact the mechanical possibility doesn't necessarily 
equate to behavioural 
certainty (or even likelihood).

The beaks of many parrots are more than capable of being used to kill and eat 
small animals, yet 
the New Zealand Kea is the only parrot that I'm aware of that regularly does 
so. Elephant 
physiology allows them to do headstands when trained to do so in captivity, yet 
I doubt any wild 
elephant has ever found the need to do so. I'm sure there are plenty of other 
examples of species 
(or individuals within a species) doing unexpected things that their close 
relatives should also be 
capable of doing (yet never actually do).


On Wed, Apr 29th, 2015 at 9:23 PM, "Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@umd.edu> 
wrote:

> It is exceedingly difficult to establish that an animal ate strictly one 
> thing or another. After
> all, deer eat carcasses, cattle
> will eat live birds, and hippos actually eat a fair amount of meat. The 
> categories "carnivorous"
> and "herbivorous" are rarely
> absolute.


> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu] On Behalf Of 
Poekilopleuron
> > Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 4:14 AM
> > To: dinosaur@usc.edu
> > Subject: Carnivorous ceratopsids?
> > 
> > Good day,
> > 
> > given the new extraordinary find of _Chilesaurus_ I wonder if there is any 
> > "firm" evidence of
> possible omnivory or even
> carnivorous
> > habits in late Cretaceous ceratopsids? AFAIK some researchers suggested 
> > that the extremely
> strong curved beak could serve for
> > ripping flesh just as good as for cropping plant matter. How strong is the 
> > current status of
> obligate herbivory in majority of
> > ceratopsians (or even marginocephalians)? Thank you very much, Tom

-- 
_____________________________________________________________

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