Re: E & P of Pterosaurs - Notes 3

["Chris Bennett" <cbennett@bridgeport.edu>]

Having read what David wrote about Unwin and Kellner, I was wondering what
would happen when he got to me:


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "david peters" <davidrpeters@earthlink.net>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2004 9:48 AM
Subject: E & P of Pterosaurs - Notes 3


> More notes from a recent reading of Ecology and Paleobiology of
Pterosaurs, special pub. no. 217 of the Geo. Soc.
>
> Pterosaur Pectoral Myology - S.C. Bennett
>
> DML member Chris Bennett presents the first reconstructions of the
pectoral musculature of [pterosaurs]...   Itâ?Ts good work....  and he is
convincing.
>

When I came to and staunched the blood flow from the deep gash on my brow
where it hit the corner of the desk on my way down, I read on.


> ...
>
> Very few muscle imprints are preserved in fossils, but in some
pterodactylids the trapezius and deltoids appear to make their presence
known. The trapezius impressions appear to extend to the lateralmost
scapula, or about twice the distance shown by Bennett, who followed muscle
scars exclusively.
>

It seems that David is making a distinction between "muscle imprints" and
"muscle scars", a distinction that I do not understand unless imprints
refers to details on fossils that are revealed by his photointerpretation
methodology and which no one else can see.  His statement that I "followed
muscle scars exclusively" is incorrect.  As clearly stated in the paper, I
used the Extant Phylogenetic Bracket method of Witmer as applied to
Maiasaura by Dilkes and combined information from bone morphology
(processes, etc.), muscle scars, and the distribution and attachments of
muscles in the extant relatives of pterosaurs.  I spend about 8 hours a week
in the cadaver lab and am well aware that muscle attachments may not leave
marks on bones.  I mapped all the muscle scars I could find, but I
reconstructed many muscle attachments based only on the information provided
by extant relatives.

By the way, regarding Buffetaut's interpretation of the quadrate region of
Hatzegopteryx, Eric clearly got it right.

Chris


S. Christopher Bennett, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Basic Sciences
College of Chiropractic
University of Bridgeport
Bridgeport, CT  06601
http://www.bridgeport.edu/~cbennett

"Savor the sun--but when the clouds come make animals"  (Hexum)