The Author
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. It, and all of its files and contents -- unless otherwise noted -- are protected by this license.License established 9/9/2012, while previously I was using a CC-BY-ND license instead.
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Category Archives: Biomechanics
Wrench in the Works of Head Attitude
The orientation of the head for standardized anatomical comparison is important for biological and paleontological analysis. It influences anatomical direction, description, the relationship of soft-tissue, study of behaviors such as feeding by the orientation of muscles versus gravity, and so … Continue reading
The Skimmer, Exploded
Rhynchops niger is a fun animal. Not only does it have this wonderfully huge lower bill, there’s lots of fun little structures of the jaw that interact in ways one doesn’t really expect in birds.(The gap in the upper and … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Biology, Biomechanics
Tagged Beaks, Birds, Black Skimmer, Jaws, Rhynchops niger
1 Comment
Are Scansoriopterygids Oviraptorosaurs?
Scansoriopterygidae represent one of those bizarre groups of animals that seem to defy simplistic evaluation; there’s always something about them that says “You should compare with that that other group” whenever you look at a part. It doesn’t help that … Continue reading
Oviraptorid Jaw Muscles Described, Part 4
Wait, you thought we were done? This is a short post, following parts one, two and three. The above image attempts to describe lines of action for major jaw muscles and directions of force (arrows). Jaw protraction and retraction does … Continue reading
Posted in Biomechanics, Morphometrics, Paleontology, Reconstruction
Tagged Jaws, Oviraptorosaurs
2 Comments
Oviraptorid Jaw Muscles Described, Part 3
In the previous two posts (part 1 here, part 2 here), I discussed the shapes and sizes of the muscles and their origins and insertions of the oviraptorid skull. I deigned to provide the basis of the muscles mapped to … Continue reading
Posted in Biology, Biomechanics, Paleobiology, Paleontology
Tagged Beaks, Jaws, Oviraptorids
2 Comments
Oviraptorid Jaw Muscles Described, Part 2
In the last post, I discussed the one jaw to cranium muscle that isn’t a depressor that bears on its mechanics (m. depressor mandibular, or mDM) and the palatal and psuedotemporal groups of muscles (m. pterygoideus and m. psuedotemporalis, respectively). … Continue reading
Posted in Biology, Biomechanics, Paleontology
Tagged Cranial Anatomy, Diet, Oviraptorosaurs
2 Comments
Oviraptorid Jaw Muscles Described, Part 1
Here follows a small, basic and minor depiction of the jaw muscles of an oviraptorid, largely specifically based on landmarks provided by the extant phylogenetic bracket (EPB) but also informed by examining for cranial landmarks in which these muscles typically … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Biological Comparison, Biology, Biomechanics, Paleontology, Reconstruction
Tagged Musculature, Oviraptorids, Oviraptorosaurs
4 Comments
Cheeky Commentary on Ornithischians
In my last post on the issue of recovering the probable structure of extra-oral tissues in dinosaurs, bracketed as they are between crocs and birds, but with lacertilians and other reptiles outside of that grouping, I suggested that one important … Continue reading
Posted in Biology, Biomechanics, Paleobiology, Paleontology, Reconstruction
Tagged Cheeks in Dinosaurs, Lips, Teeth
9 Comments
Oviraptorids and Cranial Morphometrics 2: Reloaded
Hot on the heels of my post on how cranial morphometric analyses of theropods end up excluding oviraptorids from them, a new paper ups the ante. (Of course, I do not mean that these papers actively exclude oviraptorids, but rather … Continue reading
Posted in Morphometrics, Paleobiology, Paleontology, Science Reporting
Tagged Birds, Oviraptorids, Oviraptorosaurs, Theropods
8 Comments
Jaime A. Headden