Unusual Narial Structures in Dinosaurs and other VertebratesA Case Study in the Functional Interpretation of Anatomical Novelty in the Fossil Record

[601174] Witmer有几类恐龙在它们头骨的鼻孔区域表现出不同寻常的形态。在鸭嘴龙（鸭嘴龙科）、角龙（角龙科）和雷龙（蜥脚类）中发现了最不同的鼻腔解剖结构。这些扩大的颅骨区域的功能仍然是个谜，阻碍了对恐龙头骨进化的全面理解。从充气气囊和箱子到大脑冷却装置，各种想法层出不穷。因此，研究人员将测试这些不寻常的海洋专业化的功能假设。此外，研究人员将探讨化石记录中解剖学新颖性的棘手问题。将研究恐龙的现代近亲（鸟类和鳄鱼目动物）的鼻子，以提供基本的解剖学数据。此外，许多具有与恐龙相似的新奇物种的现代类群将作为恐龙的类似物或“模型”。化石分类群将在世界各地的博物馆进行研究，重要标本将首次进行CT扫描。这项研究将为恐龙的解剖、功能和行为解释提供明确的进展。此外，关于脊椎动物鼻子功能解剖学的新数据将对研究包括人类在内的现代动物的研究人员有用。最后，本研究使用的观点和方法将使其成为其他已灭绝生物的神秘新奇功能解释的模型研究。

9601174 Witmer Several groups of dinosaurs exhibit unusual morphology in the narial (nostril) regions of their skulls. The most divergent narial anatomy is found in the duck-bill dinosaurs (Hadrosaurinae), horned dinosaurs (Ceratopsidae), and the brontosaurs (Sauropoda). The function of these enlarged narial regions remains enigmatic, preventing a comprehensive understanding of skull evolution in Dinosauria. Ideas range from inflatable sacs and trunks to brain-cooling devices. Thus, the investigators will test functional hypotheses on these unusual narial specializations. Furthermore, the investigators will probe the vexing issue of anatomical novelty in the fossil record. The noses of the modern relatives of dinosaurs (birds and crocodilians) will be studied to provide baseline anatomical data. Additionally, a number of modern groups with narial novelties similar to those proposed for dinosaurs will serve as analogues or "models" for the dinosaurs. The fossil taxa will be studied in museums worldwide, and important specimens will be CT scanned for the first time. This research will provide clear advances for the anatomical, functional, and behavioral interpretation of dinosaurs. Furthermore, new, general data on the functional anatomy of vertebrate noses will be of use for researchers working on modern animals, including humans. Finally, the perspectives and methods used in this research will make it a model study for the functional interpretation of the enigmatic novelties of other extinct organisms.