Geobulletin alpha

Source info:

Author:	Ville Sinkkonen
Date:	2010-09-10 13:40:00
Blog:	Dots in Deep Time
URL:	http://dotsindeeptime.blogspot.com/2010/09/quill-knobs-vs-intermuscular-line.html

Summary:

Lately Concavenator has caused quite a buzz among the dinosaur researchers. And there is no doubt that there is a lot to talk about regarding it's phylogenetic position and it's relationship and possible synonymy to Becklespinax. It now seems that the discussion has shifted focus to Concavenators quill knobs .To give a brief summary (Ortega et al,2010) in their description of Concavenator noted series of small bony bumbs running in a single line on the ulna and proposed that these are homologous to quill knobs. Darren Naish and Mickey Mortimer came independently to the conclusion that instead of quill knobs the structure represents intermuscular line. And indeed looking at the Alligator forelimb musculature the line of knobs fits rather nicely between flexor ulnaris and the extensor carpi radialis brevis:Image is from Mickey Mortimers blogHowever let us not forget our feathered winged friends. If we are going to make conclusions based on muscular reconstruction, then we must also take into account the birdiesAnd here's a nice comparison modified from an excellent chart done by John Conway.As you can see Birds simply do not have the large extensor carpi radialis brevis complex of crocodilians and the flexor ulnaris attachment area is above the mid line of the ulna.So how should we reconstruct the musculature? It's problematic. Especially when we consider the locomotary difference between the two extant animals. Crocodilian with it's terrestrial/aquatic lifestyle, quadrupedality and postural diversity and in the other hand flying bipedal birds with heavily limited wrist motion. I tend to lean on birds due to closer relationship, locked radii&ulnae which would pose limitations to musculature and bipedal locomotion which provides similar pressures for forelimb musculature.So it seems that the whole intermuscular line hypothesis isn't all that straightforward. In phylogenetic bracketing terms it's level II inference. It might or it might not be intermuscular line but that's depending on muscular reconstruction.

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Keywords:

aquatic lifestyle, bipedal locomotion, bumbs, Concavenator musculature anatomy quill knobs, crocodilians, dinosaur researchers, extant animals, extensor carpi, john conway, mickey mortimer, mid line, mortimers, musculature, naish, no doubt, phylogenetic position, synonymy, ulna, ulnae, winged friends, wrist motion