Re: new boook on functional morphology

[pharrinj@PLU.edu]

On Thu, 18 Jan 1996, Stan Friesen wrote:

>  > > of it,  Johnson and Ostrom make a very strong case (and I was very pro 
> erect
>  > > gait!) for a sprawling gait in ceratopsian forelimbs

..snip...

> Hmm, I seem to have missed the original of this, so please pardon the
> lack of attribution.
> 
> Recently discovered ceratopsian trackways have definatively countered
> Johnson & Ostrom's reconstruction of a sprawling gait. The trackways
> are consistant with either an erect gait or a bow-legged gait (if
> the manus was held twisted outward), but NOT with a sprawling gait.

I noticed in a restoration of a sprawling ceratop by the Czerkases that 
the manus (plural--darn those fourth declension nouns!) were WAY 
pigeon-toed (in large measure because they had reconstructed the animal 
with its coracoids in contact with each other across the chest!).  Were this 
the case, the fourth and fifth "fingers" would have borne most of the 
force of the animal's step and would be expected to be large and strong.

Is this the case?  NO!  Manual digits IV and V are tiny.  The biggest, 
most robust fingers are II and III, implying that ceratopes (original 
Greek plural for lack of a better) walked with their hands facing 
straight forward or canting a little outwards.  This is consistent with a 
Bakkerian forelimb, tucked in close to the body, but not with a sprawling 
forelimb, at least as it has been conceived in the past.

> 
> swf@elsegundoca.attgis.com            sarima@netcom.com
> 
> The peace of God be with you.

And also with you.

     Nick Pharris
     Pacific Lutheran University