Femora of Titanosauriformes: What am I looking for?

[Mike Lima <taradosgon@yahoo.com>]

Two characteristics of Titanosauriformes are "Femoral
shaft with lateral bulge, proximal one-third deflected
medially" (Wilson, 2002). When I try to look for these
characteristics on sauropod femurs (a photograph of a
Brachiosaurus femur, figured femora in "The
Dinosauria," and an illustration of a Rapetosaurus
femur) I can't see what is meant by this. 

Given the photograph of a Brachiosaurus femur at

http://dinosoria.com/brachiosaurides.htm 

shouldn't the upper 1/3 of the femur be arched to the
right if it the "proximal one-third" is "deflected
medially?" I can't see any sort of conspicuous medial
arch when compared to diplodocid femora. Unless
"medial" when used in reference to tetrapods in
referring to anterior-posterior direction opposed to
pointed laterally toward the trunk. But if that's the
case I'm still not seeing any sort of arch. 

http://rainbow.ldeo.columbia.edu/courses/v1001/brachiosaurus.gif

(provided that is an accurate restoration). 


Also what is the "lateral bulge?" I just assumed it is
the small bump on the inside of the femur about half
way down the shaft (can be seen in the first picture).
However, looking in "The Dinosauria" Camarasaurus
grandis, Mamenchisaurus sp., Dicraeosaurus hansemani, 
and Cetiosaurus oxoniensis all have this "bulge as
well." While Antarctosaurus wichmannianus lacks this
bulge. So I'm assuming what I'm taking to be the
"bulge" isn't what Wilson is referring to, but I'm not
seeing any other sort of lateral swelling. 

Are these characteristics pointed out in illustration
in any sort of literature? Or can anyone help direct
me to what I should be looking at?

Thanks.   

 




                
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