#mononykus77

And even if it does get overturned later, it’ll still serve as a good example of the scientific method at work.

This is an interesting hypothesis, and one that could be tested experimentally, but I think that it’s very unlikely.If the bone grew like an antler–that is, very quickly, and shed each year– it would have a distinctive texture on a microscopic level that could be observed, so the boundary between the skull and ‘antler’ should be obvious. As nobody has ever observed such a boundary, it seems unlikely that a Nyctosaurus crest could safely fall off.If you wanted to know this for sure, though, you’d need somebody who had studied deer antlers to examine a Nyctosaurus fossil very closely, and potentially cut out cross-sections of the fossil to study its properties.

But if it turns out to actually be a dolichosaur, then I have no personal problem with that.  (And since dolichosaurs seem to be a sister group to snakes it wouldn’t even be moving particularly far away taxonomically, just losing its transitional form “proto-snake” status.)

Bound to happen sometime... 

And... we’re not sure honestly

Yeah, it is a matter of genericometer to my knowledge.

Well, I mean, compared to krill, birds are substantially less suitable for bulk-feeding, if that’s what you mean? Birds are fast and agile. Also, azhdarchids are not built for that kind of thing.

Ah, okay. Equally bad, I suppose? I have a bit of an aversion to scaly dromaeosaurs though, so as long as it’s not pronated I might choose the feathered one.