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

9601174 Witmer几组恐龙在它们头骨的narial（narial）区域表现出不寻常的形态。最具差异性的鼻孔解剖学发现于鸭嘴龙亚科（Hadrosaurinae）、角龙科（Ceratopsidae）和雷龙科（Sauropoda）。这些扩大的鼻孔区域的功能仍然是个谜，阻碍了对恐龙头骨进化的全面了解。从可充气的囊袋和行李箱到大脑冷却装置，这些想法不一而足。因此，研究人员将测试这些不寻常的narial专业化的功能假设。此外，研究人员还将探讨化石记录中解剖学新奇的棘手问题。恐龙的现代亲戚（鸟类和鳄鱼）的鼻子将被研究，以提供基线解剖数据。此外，一些现代的类群与恐龙有着类似的新的特征，可以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学，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的一般数据将对研究现代动物（包括人类）的研究人员有用。最后，在这项研究中使用的观点和方法将使其成为一个模式研究的功能解释的神秘新奇的其他灭绝的生物。

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.