New Research Provides Initial Proof of Pudgy Jowls in Dinosaurs, Reworks Presumed Methods of Their Bite Patterns
Dinosaurs, often envisioned as bony, lean creatures, may have boasted a softer side, according to a new study. Researchers have discovered soft buccal tissue, colloquially referred to as "chubby cheeks," in numerous dinosaur specimens, challenging conventional beliefs about their lower jaw structure.
This soft tissue, technically known as the exoparia, connects the cheekbone to the lower jaw—a feature previously thought to be absent in dinosaurs and their closest living relatives, birds and reptiles. The presence of this tissue could significantly alter our understanding of dinosaur jaw mechanics and feeding habits.
For mammals, like humans, cheeks are a combination of skin, fat, muscles, and ligaments that connect the lower jaw, known as the mandible, to the zygoma, a portion of the skull. Dinosaurs, on the other hand, lacked these connective tissues, leading to reconstructions that looked more reptilian than mammalian.
However, the discovery of the exoparia could change this narrative. The researchers examined the skull morphology of various dinosaurs, looking for bone indications of connective tissue attachments. They then developed a novel methodology, called THLEEP, for determining the orientation of the missing soft tissue.
Using this method, they analyzed ten specimens further, confirming the presence of connective tissues between the zygomata and mandible in most dinosauriforms studied. The implications of this discovery are vast; the exoparia could have provided stability to the mandible during jaw movement, especially in dinosaurs believed to process their food mechanically.
While no fossilized dinosaur cheeks are available for confirmation, if the findings hold true, the exoparia could redefine our perspectives on dinosaur skull anatomy and feeding behaviors. It could suggest that dinosaur jaws were more similar to mammals than previously thought, potentially implying complex chewing sounds—an idea best left unimagined (especially when discussing T. rex lips).
The study, published in the Journal of Anatomy, could pave the way for a reevaluation of dinosaur chewing and feeding behavior, with implications reaching beyond jaw mechanics to muscle arrangement, feeding strategies, and possibly even evolutionary studies.
This new discovery of soft buccal tissue, or exoparia, in dinosaur specimens could greatly influence our perception of their health and wellness, as it suggests a complex chewing mechanism akin to mammals. Furthermore, this revelation about dinosaur anatomy may significantly impact our understanding of medical-conditions related to jaw mechanics and space-and-astronomy, as it could potentially provide insights into the evolution of such traits in various species, including ourselves.
