The Deseado Formation of PatagoniaLoomis, Frederic Brewster
Science
The Deseado Formation of Patagonia
Loomis, Frederic Brewster
Paleontology -- Patagonia (Argentina and Chile)
[Illustration: Fig. 94. Humerus, anterior side—⅕ natural size.]
[Illustration: Fig. 95. Ulna anterior side—⅕ natural size, after
Gaudry.]
The lower half of the humerus is present, and characterized by very
wide epicondyles, a shallow supratrochlear fossa, a moderately deep
anconeal fossa, no foramen, and a wide shallow trochlea. The ulna,
according to Gaudry, is a long, heavy, nearly straight bone, with a
shallow sigmoid notch, and with a large olecranon process which is not
bent backward to any marked degree. The proximal end of the radius
has a broad doubly curved articular surface to fit the full width of
the humeral trochlea. Its ulna facet is a short broad area just below
the margin of the bone, and would indicate little or no rotary motion
of the fore arm. Most of the shaft is lacking but what is present
indicates a very slender bone.
[Illustration: Fig. 96. Upper end of radius, ulnar side—⅕ natural size.]
[Illustration: Fig. 97. Left tibia, posterior side—⅕ natural size.]
[Illustration: Fig. 98. Astragulus, dorsal aspect—½ natural size, after
Ameghino.]
[Illustration: Fig. 99. _A_, Ungual phalanx, No. 3; _B_, Ungual
phalanx, No. 5—½ natural size.]
The tibia is also a rather light bone of moderate length, and is
strongly curved inward, the inner margin being especially concave.
On the wide proximal end, the inner condyle is concave, the outer
convex, the two being separated by a prominent bifid spine. The shaft
is slender, with a deep groove down the anterior face especially
at the upper end, while on the posterior face, there is a large
interosseus crest, which starts just below and external to the
spine, and extends in a sigmoid curve three-fourths of the length
of the shaft, ending on the internal border. Distally the tibia is
flattened antero-posteriorly, and the internal margin extends as a wide
process down to the level of the navicular face of the astragulus.
The articular facet for the astragulus is a rectangular depression,
being about half as wide in the antero-posterior direction as in the
transverse. This facet is only slightly concave and the inner and outer
portions are not separated by an inter-trochlear ridge. The fibula has
not been found, but the tibia shows no indication of its having been
fused to it.
Ameghino has figured the astragulus as very low, with the trochlea
flattened, the internal condyle being wider and flatter, while the
external condyle is narrower and somewhat raised. The trochlea is
peculiar in that its proximal margin is deeply notched by a depression
in which there is a large perforation. The neck is prolonged and
carries a large convex head articulating with the navicular only. The
measurements given are, length 116 mm., width 75 mm.
Gaudry figures a calcaneum, showing a long narrow tuber, and the facet
for the fibula as a wide shelf which projects strongly on the external
side. The size as given by Ameghino is 240 mm. long, by 120 mm. wide.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account