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I assumed beak evolution was a flight adaptation to reduce weight. Teeth+jaws enable chewing which is much more effective at extracting energy and nutrients fro

by cjensen 10y ago

I assumed beak evolution was a flight adaptation to reduce weight. Teeth+jaws enable chewing which is much more effective at extracting energy and nutrients from food. Birds have a lot of weight adaptations. Digestion is quick-and-dirty in order to minimize the time food must be carried around during digestion. Legs are generally very thin and break easily (one leg broken is very common) in order to save weight. Even feathers participate -- most of the surface area of the wing is constructed from feathers rather than flesh in order to save weight. A Moa, for example, is similar-sized but has no teeth because it evolved from lighter birds. Why would a large dinosaur evolve a beak and lose the efficiency of teeth?

wbhart 10y ago
Here is an article [1] in the Mail Online which appears to give a possible explanation for beaks on dinosaurs. From the article, I can't quite figure out how they reached that conclusion. But it is at least a possible explanation. [1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2517009/Mystery-dinosaurs-beaks-solved-Hard-snouts-stopped-skulls-deforming-chewed-food.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2517009/Myste...
JoeAltmaier 10y ago
Triceratops had a beak! It was for carving out pieces of fronds/palms etc. Bakker suggests that flowering plants invented beaked dinosaurs.
- yareally 10y ago
  > "Bakker suggests that flowering plants invented beaked dinosaurs." I'd say it's quite possible that it's at least one of the factors. Hummingbirds became experts at reaching nectar in flowering plants and in turn, many flowers such as trumpet plants evolved down a path that invests heavily in hummingbirds visiting them. I have seen some clever orioles circumvent the process of nectar in exchange for pollen by snipping a hole in the bottom of a trumpet plant flower and drinking the nectar it wouldn't be able to reach otherwise.
yareally 10y ago
> "Why would a large dinosaur evolve a beak and lose the efficiency of teeth?" That's a good question. I'm just an amateur, but I can guess at a few reasons. 1) Diet was not hampered by having either beak or teeth and a beak requires less maintenance (no tooth decay) and energy to grow. Beaks can also be more equipped to open seed shells and other barriers to food than teeth. I'm always quite amazed at the way finches are able to pop the seed out of a tiny thistle seed at a rapid pace. 2) Birds use their beak and legs as "radiators" to help regulate their internal temperature[1]. May have helped this species to better adapt to its area than others. [1] http://www.audubon.org/news/how-birds-keep-their-cool http://www.audubon.org/news/how-birds-keep-their-cool

by cjensen 10y ago

wbhart 10y ago

Here is an article [1] in the Mail Online which appears to give a possible explanation for beaks on dinosaurs. From the article, I can't quite figure out how they reached that conclusion. But it is at least a possible explanation. [1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2517009/Mystery-dinosaurs-beaks-solved-Hard-snouts-stopped-skulls-deforming-chewed-food.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2517009/Myste...

JoeAltmaier 10y ago

Triceratops had a beak! It was for carving out pieces of fronds/palms etc. Bakker suggests that flowering plants invented beaked dinosaurs.

yareally 10y ago
> "Bakker suggests that flowering plants invented beaked dinosaurs." I'd say it's quite possible that it's at least one of the factors. Hummingbirds became experts at reaching nectar in flowering plants and in turn, many flowers such as trumpet plants evolved down a path that invests heavily in hummingbirds visiting them. I have seen some clever orioles circumvent the process of nectar in exchange for pollen by snipping a hole in the bottom of a trumpet plant flower and drinking the nectar it wouldn't be able to reach otherwise.

yareally 10y ago

> "Why would a large dinosaur evolve a beak and lose the efficiency of teeth?" That's a good question. I'm just an amateur, but I can guess at a few reasons. 1) Diet was not hampered by having either beak or teeth and a beak requires less maintenance (no tooth decay) and energy to grow. Beaks can also be more equipped to open seed shells and other barriers to food than teeth. I'm always quite amazed at the way finches are able to pop the seed out of a tiny thistle seed at a rapid pace. 2) Birds use their beak and legs as "radiators" to help regulate their internal temperature[1]. May have helped this species to better adapt to its area than others. [1] http://www.audubon.org/news/how-birds-keep-their-cool http://www.audubon.org/news/how-birds-keep-their-cool