What is up with Tyrannosaurus lips?

[andrewsaurus rex]

that would mean the teeth would come out more easily, which makes sense as a mouth full of broken teeth is not useful.  Better they just fall out under high force than break off but stay in the mouth.  It would also make it easier for replacement teeth to push the old ones out of the mouth as they get worn.

[GojiraGuy1954]

Common sense would dictate it had lips, as a land predator.

[Bowhead Whale]

That's kind of like how the roots of our teeth can show up in our sinus cavities/much longer then what we initially can see in our mouths. That's a fair comparison correct?

More than a comparison, that is literally what this is. They just had straight roots instead of splayed ones like we have.

Wait a minute. Are you saying the teeth of Dilophosaurus got out of the skull after the death of the animal? Look, I'm not saying the roots of teeth are deep in the bones; I'm saying that the skull drawings you shown don't show teeth roots through sinuses, but pointing right outside the mouth! I'm getting confused, here...

[Bowhead Whale]

Common sense would dictate it had lips, as a land predator.

That is what I tend to think too...

[stargatedalek]

That's kind of like how the roots of our teeth can show up in our sinus cavities/much longer then what we initially can see in our mouths. That's a fair comparison correct?

More than a comparison, that is literally what this is. They just had straight roots instead of splayed ones like we have.

Wait a minute. Are you saying the teeth of Dilophosaurus got out of the skull after the death of the animal?

Yes. That isn't just me "saying that". That's what it is.

Look, I'm not saying the roots of teeth are deep in the bones; I'm saying that the skull drawings you shown don't show teeth roots through sinuses, but pointing right outside the mouth! I'm getting confused, here...

They aren't up there anymore, they've fallen out and are "hanging loose" from their sockets, frozen in place there by sediment.

[Faelrin]

@stargatedalek A bit late to seeing and responding to this, but thanks for the confirmation on that. It helps me understand this much better now.

Edit: Can't believe in all my years on this forum, I've only really started learning of this late last year I think.

[Bowhead Whale]

But how did teeth stick solid in the mouth if they were not rooted in the bone of the maxiliary bone and the mandibule? If my own teeth were only rooted in the gums, they would have been dangerously loose. Why was it different for Dilophosaurus?

[Duna]

But how did teeth stick solid in the mouth if they were not rooted in the bone of the maxiliary bone and the mandibule? If my own teeth were only rooted in the gums, they would have been dangerously loose. Why was it different for Dilophosaurus?

Dinosaur teeth were rooted just like ours but in that dilophosaurus skull the roots have slipped out of the sockets.

For example, in this replica of Stan's right dentary, you can see that the teeth are only the dark tip is the real tooth, the rest is the root that has also slipped out of the jaw. So tyrannosaurus teeth are smaller than they are depicted hanging over the lower jaw like in JP, for example.

[Bowhead Whale]

But how did teeth stick solid in the mouth if they were not rooted in the bone of the maxiliary bone and the mandibule? If my own teeth were only rooted in the gums, they would have been dangerously loose. Why was it different for Dilophosaurus?

Dinosaur teeth were rooted just like ours but in that dilophosaurus skull the roots have slipped out of the sockets.

For example, in this replica of Stan's right dentary, you can see that the teeth are only the dark tip is the real tooth, the rest is the root that has also slipped out of the jaw. So tyrannosaurus teeth are smaller than they are depicted hanging over the lower jaw like in JP, for example.

Oh! I see! Thank you for this enlightment