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Re: Posterior air sacs?



Henri,
 
        To the best of my knowledge, pneumatic foramina have not yet been identified in the limbs of any theropod.  In birds, the cervical airsac aerates the cervical + thoracic vertebrae, the clavicular airsac aerates the pectoral skeleton, and the abdominal airsac aerates the hind limbs, pelvis, sacrum and caudals.  The anterior and posterior thoracic airsacs do not invade any bones. 
        The relationship between various airsacs and those bones the airsacs invade is very consistent, regardless of which bird is being discussed. 
Some theropods (oviraptorosaurs, _Acrocanthosaurus_, perhaps others;
I'm in the process of moving and all of my refs are boxed) exhibit pneumatic foramina in the sacrum, pelvis and/or caudals.  Assuming the relationship between theropod airsacs and the bones they aerate was the same as it is in birds, this suggests some theropods possessed abdominal airsacs.
 
Guy Leahy
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, September 21, 2001 12:40 PM
Subject: Posterior air sacs?

Hello!
 
Are there theropods which are suspected to have pneumatic foramina on their leg bones? Where are the most posterior foramina that have been identified?
 
Thanks in advance,
Henri Rönkkö