Extinct Animal of the Week

(formerly Dinosaur of the Week)

13 April 2015

DNews did a great job of addressing all of the media frenzy of last week around Brontosaurus. My job here is done.

Ian N. Cost: I am an educator and a researcher. I am interested in how the feeding apparatus of reptiles, especially birds and dinosaurs, has changed over time. Therefore, I conduct research focused on the anatomy and biomechanics of the head. My research specifically seeks to answer questions concerning the functional morphology and biomechanical environment of the palate, including kinetic movements of the skull. Understanding the impact that palatal movements and the joints that are in the head have on the ecological role of all reptiles, including birds, allows us to better comprehend the evolution of the feeding apparatus in extant and fossil animals and is of great interest to me.

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