Theropod dinosaur facial reconstruction and the importance of soft tissues in paleobiology

Abstract

Large theropod dinosaurs are often reconstructed with their marginal dentition exposed because of the enormous size of their teeth and their phylogenetic association to crocodylians. We tested this hypothesis using a multiproxy approach. Regressions of skull length and tooth size for a range of theropods and extant varanid lizards confirm that complete coverage of theropod dinosaur teeth with extraoral tissues (gingiva and labial scales) is both plausible and consistent with patterns observed in living ziphodont amniotes. Analyses of dental histology from crocodylians and theropod dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus rex, further indicate that the most likely condition was complete coverage of the marginal dentition with extraoral tissue when the mouth was closed. This changes our perceptions about the appearance and oral configuration of these iconic predators and has broad implications for our interpretations of other terrestrial animals with large teeth.