Cartilaginous epiphyses in extant archosaurs and their implications for reconstructing limb function in dinosaurs.

ABSTRACT: Extinct archosaurs, including many non-avian dinosaurs, exhibit relatively simply shaped condylar regions in their appendicular bones, suggesting potentially large amounts of unpreserved epiphyseal (articular) cartilage. This "lost anatomy" is often underappreciated such that the ends of bones are typically considered to be the joint surfaces, potentially having a major impact on functional interpretation. Extant alligators and birds were used to establish an objective basis for inferences about cartilaginous articular structures in such extinct archosaur clades as non-avian dinosaurs. Limb elements of alligators, ostriches, and other birds were dissected, disarticulated, and defleshed. Lengths and condylar shapes of elements with intact epiphyses were measured. Limbs were subsequently com

SUBMITTER: Holliday CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2948032 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature