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Monday, June 29, 2009

If Nobody Else Chews the Way You Chew, Are You Rude? Dino Mastication

Unlike most animals, which have a complex joint on the lower jaw, these dinosaurs had a hinge between the upper jaw and the rest of the skull to allow for much more movement than many of their peers had. The tiny scratches show that when they chomped down on food—likely cattails and other low vegetation—the upper jaw would be forced outward, sliding teeth sideways across those in the lower jaw. This motion, combined with up, down, front and back movements, would shred and grind fibrous plant material that made up their diets.

link: Duckbilled dinosaurs dined with an unusual bite: Scientific American Blog


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