Purpose of the Crest
- Some paleontologists have suggested that the chamber functioned as a reserve
supply of air that could be drawn upon during submersion in water.
- It was believed that the narial passages in the hollow crested hadrosaurs
functioned to remove particles, to humidify and provide a sense of smell (olfaction).
- It was also believed that the crests were simply organs of display (form of
communication-warn of danger, advertise abundant food supplies, attract mates, communicate with
their young and defend their territories).
- The solid crests could serve for visual recognition, and the hollow crests,
with their extensive bony chambers, could have served as resonating chambers for producing
sounds as well.
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