This fungus is often found in soil that is rich in keratinous material. This indicates that the plates were covered in keratinous sheaths. These horns are deeply grooved, suggesting that they were the covered by a keratinous sheath. On the snout, the remains of a broad keratinous beak are visible. The baleen of baleen whales are keratinous plates. In life, a wrinkled and possibly keratinous skin would have covered these bones. The jaws may have borne a keratinous sheath. The bony crest base would typically be extended by keratinous or other soft tissue. Possibly, this rugose brow ridge supported a keratinous or scaly structure for displays. Some "Tupandactylus" specimens preserve evidence of a keratinous beak at the jaw tips. "Gallimimus" was toothless with a keratinous (horny) beak, and had a delicate lower jaw. In life, they would probably have formed the bony cores of much longer keratinous horns. It was supported internally by collagen fibres and externally by keratinous ridges. Shope determined the protrusions were keratinous carcinomas due to the infection of CRPV. This ridge probably would have supported a keratinous beak.