Alien Mouth Anatomy Discussion

[Killveous]

Hope this is posted in the right section and my pictures load properly in attachments- Did look for threads going into discussions about anatomy and mouths but couldn't find anything. 

I did a few diagrams of possible mouth mechanisms for Xenomophs, mainly based on Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) as well as some other references. As far as I know there is not a lot of research into the anatomy (I guess because people get killed before they have a chance to really look over them) but I would love to see what people think? A few different options I thought up which could work logistically, but I am sure other people have their own theories. 
Perhaps it is possible different sub species of them have different internal mouth mechanisms?

If anyone would like a blank cut away section of the Alien head to draw in their own idea for how the mouth could work I can provide high res and also PSD files. 

Also if anyone has anything from comics or games I have not seen please do share! 
Thanks!

[whiterabbit]

I still think it is nothing more than a hydraulic piston. If it is connected to the throat I doubt it. I think it operates more like a killer tongue.

[bobby brown]

I also don't think the tongue incorporates the throat. Why else would the creature have a main mouth instead of just a sheathing for protection maybe? The tongue is probably not a tongue at all. Just a weapon that retracts when the alien feeds.

[Killveous]

I also don't think the tongue incorporates the throat. Why else would the creature have a main mouth instead of just a sheathing for protection maybe? The tongue is probably not a tongue at all. Just a weapon that retracts when the alien feeds.

I still think it is nothing more than a hydraulic piston. If it is connected to the throat I doubt it. I think it operates more like a killer tongue.

Yeah I don't feel like the throat would go right down the middle of the inner mouth? If it was then I feel like it would use the mouth to eat then it would put it out and leave it out to nibble food (like a insects proboscis?). Basically a big long straw.

Maybe there are comics or clear images of the smaller jaws that have an opening down the middle? I seem to recall AVP:R having a scene where one is eating and its mouth goes in and out rather then staying in a fixed position, perhaps grabbing little bits of food to pull into bigger mouth or maybe just 'tenderising' the meal lol

[Local Trouble]

I'm less interested in the topic than I am in the quality of your diagrams.  Excellent work.  Do you have more?

[Killveous]

I'm less interested in the topic than I am in the quality of your diagrams.  Excellent work.  Do you have more?

Hey thanks so much! I did them as a treat for finishing some commissions.
I don't yet but I am planning on working out how a Queens Egg Sac works in the same way because I would like to make an attachment for my Neca Queen accurately : )

[Biomechanoid]

Thumbs up on diagrams. I'm in the same camp that it's inner-jaw's ability to shoot out is not connected in some way with the throat. Shoot your own tongue out and notice its your muscular organ that creates that action. Little to nothing about your throat is involved.

On the other hand, this is a fictional alien, so anything goes on creating fan fiction.

[Elmazalman]

[SM]

Excellent work!

I'm not sure if the Anchorpoint Essays ever did any studies on how the mouth works.

Only thing to consider would be how the mouth can go right through a head or torso, so may be a bit longer, and the fact it's 'flaccid' when not being used to strike.  I know you were mainly using Alien and Aliens, but the ideas and pictures you've done are great.

[Elmazalman]

Excellent work!

I'm not sure if the Anchorpoint Essays ever did any studies on how the mouth works.

Only thing to consider would be how the mouth can go right through a head or torso, so may be a bit longer, and the fact it's 'flaccid' when not being used to strike.  I know you were mainly using Alien and Aliens, but the ideas and pictures you've done are great.

Anchorpoint did do some studies on the tongue. The tongue may be soft and limp in it's natural state but become rigid (like a penis) when used. The one Ripley pulled from the dead Alien was soft enough to be torn from the mouth.

The OP's "concertina" theory is interesting. Something similar appeared in ALIEN: THE ILLUSTRATED STORY:

[Xenomania]

The flaccid tongue was one of the best inventions Resurrection had, but is it just another by-product of the cloning? I would like to think the tongue on a "pure-bred" Alien is the same. Although if the tongue is a completely solid piston, it would explain partially why the head is so long?

[Killveous]

Stuff like this is exactly what I was hoping someone would know of for me! Thank you!

Sadly, when I followed the paper trail for this looking for an english translation; Turns out its all silly nonsense translated with google and not actually scientific theories or ideas lol 

But I did find his sketch which is gorgeous. 

The flaccid tongue was one of the best inventions Resurrection had, but is it just another by-product of the cloning? I would like to think the tongue on a "pure-bred" Alien is the same. Although if the tongue is a completely solid piston, it would explain partially why the head is so long?

I like the flaccid tongue idea as well, with it being quite soft and bendy when not used to attack. It seems very fitting for the overall design to have- Like Elmazalman and SM state about it being like a penis. Perhaps even prehensile which is shown in some movies where it does bend for the sides slightly to 'wiggle' this isn't unlike how whales reproductive organs work (while still being able to tuck away of course). 

As for Resurrection (1997) I went back to have a really close look at how their mouth parts work in it and remembering that Ripley 8 is 'super strong' thanks to the cloning process- she is able to completely bend the tongue when flaccid in a very compact way. I grabbed some screen shots, banged the brightness up and tried to go over them to illustrate this point and also looked hard at the torn end which??? Looks a lot like the chameleon inspired design with the elastic skin and the tendons?

Perhaps when the inner mouth is lined up with it's inner rod (the firing piston) it is extremely strong and can fire the toothed end off like a bolt gun. But when pushed from the sides or using the internal muscles to shift it around, its very soft and malleable. 

Would the inner mouth be attached to the upper (skull) or lower jaw as well? 

Also I made a new theory about their inner mouths and it is by far the best theory of them all.

[Local Trouble]

Maybe AR's goofy context colored my perception, but I always thought the flaccid tongue looked silly.  Your new diagram goes a long way toward changing my mind though.

Do you have any full-body anatomical diagrams or maybe some conjectural ones featuring the development of cranium under the carapace over time? 

MOAR!

[Elmazalman]

Sci-Fi & Fantasy FX #48. Pg 26 & 27.

[SiL]

Giger added the tongue because he thought such a long head should serve a purpose. I always liked the idea that the tongue starts further back along the head and that's why it has so much force. Imagine three feet of muscle and hydraulics pushing that thing forward.