Complex neurovascular system in the dentary of Tyrannosaurus

[AlexSciChannel]

I haven't seen anyone post about this study. It seems pretty fascinating. And it may spice up the lip conversation a bit. The problem is I don't see anyone talking about it.

 

It was published by our friends from Japan, Soichiro Kawabe & Soki Hattori, both of whom work for Fukui Prefectural University as well as the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.

 

Specimen Information:

The material studied, FPDM-V-9767 is a single left dentary from a Tyrannosaurus rex found in Montana. It was originally owned by commercial fossil company PaleoAdventures before the original specimen was sold to the Fukui Prefectural museum as a permanent member of the collection to be studied.

 

The cast can be bought here: https://www.paleoadventures.com/online-store/p/cast-pathologic-t-rex-left-dentary-no-teeth-as-found

 

The dentary has pathologies on the anterior end including a bite from another tyrannosaur and what seems to be a tooth infection.

 

And now for the paper, 

 

The Abstract:

 

The morphology of the neurovascular canal in the jaw has been analysed in several fossil reptiles, including theropod dinosaurs. However, the details of the neurovascular canal in the dentary of theropods have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we described the well-preserved dentary of Tyrannosaurus rex, analysed the morphology of the neurovascular canal in the dentary using computed tomography techniques, and compared its distribution pattern with other dinosaurs and extant crocodiles. The results show that the neurovascular canal in the dentary of Tyrannosaurus exhibits a rather complex branching amongst the sampled dinosaurs, and that the complexity is comparable to that of extant crocodilians. The complexity of the canal branching is likely related to the high tactile sensitivity of the dentary, suggesting that the jaw tip of Tyrannosaurus may have played an essential role as a sensitive tactile sensor.

 

Full study: https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2021.1965137

 

Let's have some conversation. What does this mean about T. rex and it's behavior interactions? Also since the sensory system is similar to that of crocodilians, does this confirm Thomas Carr's hypothesis that tyrannosaurs were lipless?

 

Edited September 5, 2021 by AlexSciChannel