INTEGBI N33 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Predentary, Saurischia, Herbivore
31 Mar 2018
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Document Summary
Ornithischia (one of 2 major groups of dinosaurs) Allows room for large gut for processing plants. Functions as a unit with pubis for muscle attachment. For attachment of leg muscles that use to attach to pubis. Occurs in hip/tail area, makes tail stiff to help balance the animal. Saurischia (one of 2 major groups of dinosaurs) Competitive edge idea that a group of organisms become the dominant organisms in the environment due to some advantage granted by physiological adaptation. Thought successful because of erect posture but therapsids also had it. Dinosaur success likely attributed to adaptive radiation at end triassic extinction. Cellulose - fibrous carbohydrate that make up plant cell walls which animals can"t digest. Digestive enzymes - animals don"t have cellulase so rely on gut flora that can break down cellulose. Precise occlusion - upper and bottom teeth fit together, ornithischians evolve towards it. Mechanical breakdown - chewing up tough plant matter; teeth and grinding; gastroliths.
