CHAPTER 3 Flashcards
serrations
small sharp bumps on a tooth that are arranged in a line that usually runs from the tip to the base of the tooth.
a type of herbivore that only eats fruit
Frugivore, usually have a sharp and hooked beak
a type of carnivore that only eats fish
piscivore, have tall, sharp, conical teeth that usually lack serrations.
a type of carnivore that only eats bugs.
insectivore, have sharp piercing teeth. some insectivore don’t have any teeth at all.
durophagy
extremely powerful jaws that are able to break bones when eating.
omnivores
eat both meat and plants. usually have either unspecialized teeth OR a variety of teeth with different shapes.
resorption
the chemical process by which dinosaurs break down their own teeth and bones so that the minerals can be reused.
dental batteries
arrangements of densely packed teeth that collectively from a single, large chewing surface.
which two groups have dental batteries
hadrosaurs and ceratopsians
the two types of hard tissue that make up teeth
enamel which covers the outside of the tooth, and Dentine which is on the inside of a tooth
Are the dental batteries of ceratopsians and hadrosaurs related
No, they evolved separately and do not share a common ancestor.
gastroliths
small stones that are swallowed to help with digestion of plant material. Gastroliths are also a cololite.
dromeosaurs
a group of theropod dinosaurs with thin tails supported by special rod like projections of their caudal vertebrae.
spinosaurs
a group of theropods that were thought to be piscivores because of their conical, shape teeth with few to no serrations.
cololites
cololites are fossil gut contents
coprolites
fossil shit/poop
which part of a tooth is shed? and why
The top or crown of the tooth because the root of the tooth has been reabsorbed for minerals and nutrients.
Cellulose
A tough material from plants which cannot be digested and needs the help from bacteria found within the stomach.
what is a way for some herbivores to deal with cellulose?
dental batteries.
why are dental batteries uneven?
Different hard tissues are found down at a slightly different rate.
Ceratopsians and their dental batteries.
- Dental battery is almost vertical.
- Slide together like scissor blades, with one opposing lateral side of the teeth is doing most of the work.
Hadrosaurs and their dental batteries.
- Angled downwards, but still mostly horizontal.
- move their jaws backwards and forwards and side to side as well.
Inset teeth function
Inset teeth probably helped make room for large cheeks which are used for holding food while an animal chews.
Inset teeth
the teeth in dental batteries are inset in the the are positioned close to the tongue.
