Re: Procompsognathus manus

[Justin S Tweet <thescelosaurus@juno.com>]

On Wed, 18 Oct 2000 14:40:30 -0400 "Larry Febo" <larryf@capital.net>
writes:
> OK.....how many (manual) digits does it possess? Just read through
> Heilmann`s ol book "The Origin of Birds". pg 173 shows diagram 
> showing at least 1 proximal phalange on mc5. Yet webpage at:
> http://www.io.com/~mwalk/hmnh/compypage.html
> describes it as having only four digits on the manus.

It probably did not have five digits.  From illustrations, the type
specimen shows what may be three metacarpals with an ulna and radius,
plus some possible phalanges, so that hand is most likely incomplete.  I
think the problem here may be that Huene referred a left manus and
partial skull to *Procompsognathus* which Ostrom later suggested were not
referable .  Heilmann's figure may be based on this removed specimen,
which apparently has metacarpals II-V of roughly equal length
(information mainly from Glut's encyclopedia).-*Thescelosaurus* 

------------------------------------------------------
Justin Tweet, *Thescelosaurus*
See "Thescelosaurus!": http://personal2.stthomas.edu/jstweet/index.htm

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