Incisivosaurus

Incisivosaurus – closely related to, and possibly congeneric with, Protarchaeopteryx – has a reduced compliment of teeth, all of which are restricted to the anterior parts of the jaws, and two enlarged, bunny-like incisiform teeth project from each premaxilla (image at top: widely available on the web).

The war on parasites: an oviraptorosaur’s eye view Darren Naish 2006

Earlier I mentioned the bunny-like teeth of Incisivosaurus, and because its incisiform teeth do exhibit wear facets, they were almost certainly used in feeding.

The war on parasites: an oviraptorosaur’s eye view Darren Naish 2006

Earlier I mentioned the bunny-like teeth of Incisivosaurus, and because its incisiform teeth do exhibit wear facets, they were almost certainly used in feeding.

Archive 2006-07-01 Darren Naish 2006

Incisivosaurus – closely related to, and possibly congeneric with, Protarchaeopteryx – has a reduced compliment of teeth, all of which are restricted to the anterior parts of the jaws, and two enlarged, bunny-like incisiform teeth project from each premaxilla (image at top: widely available on the web).

Archive 2006-07-01 Darren Naish 2006

There’s what we know of their reproductive behaviour (gleaned from nests with eggs and even shelled eggs discovered inside a pelvis), the affinities and anatomy of the basal forms from Lower Cretaceous China (Caudipterx, Protarchaeopteryx and Incisivosaurus), the controversy over their diet and ecology, their controversial phylogenetic position (some workers maintain that they are flightless birds*), and the controversy over their alleged presence in the English Lower Cretaceous (Naish & Martill 2002).

Archive 2006-02-01 Darren Naish 2006