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While in the beginning Dinoforensics held a young-earth view,
the administrator has decided to conform to the old-earth creation view. This does not conflict with the Genesis account,
and attributes every creature--living and dead--to a magnificent Creator, who calls himself I AM.
Dinosaur of the Week
Parasaurolophus is one of the most amazing Hadrosaurs that ever walked the face
of the planet. Its name means like Saurolophus, but the very appearance of its startling figure makes Saurolophus
disappear in the back of ones mind. Both it and Saurolophus had trombone-like crests protruding from the back of their
heads. The difference? The crest on Saurolophus was solid, but the crest sticking out from the back of Parasaurolophus
head was hollow, lined with looping nasal cavities running from the nostril on the crest to the throat. Several theories have
arisen over the past as to what the purpose of this crest was. They include: a snorkel for underwater swimming; an air container
for while Parasaurolophus was completely submerged beneath the waves; extra space to increase smell senses; and an
area to cool off the brain. However, the most widely-accepted theory today is that the crests were used to emit sounds to
warn of impending danger, attract potential mates, or signal to other members of its kind. It was also probably used as a
horn for social display, allowing other animals to tell who the particular animal was in the herd, the age of the animal,
and its sex. The nasal loops within the crest support the idea of noises being made through it. A vocal organsuch as a voice
boxwould make the sounds, and the sound was then pushed through the hollow tubes in the crest, giving it a deep, bellowing
rumble. Scientists have mapped the nasal loops within the crest, and have run simulations on it to determine what the sound
that came out was truly like: having heard it myself, I can tell you thatas I sat in the dark, alone in my house at night,
turning the volume up all the wayI felt shivers run down my spine as an eerie wail made me wrench down the volume. A noise
out of place in this world. A howl very, very alien.
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