The Ornithosauria: An elementary study of the bones of Pterodactyles made from fossil remains found in the Cambridge Upper Greensand, and arranged in the Woodwardian Museum of the University of Cambridge — John Shaqi
The Ornithosauria: An elementary study of the bones of Pterodactyles made from fossil remains found in the Cambridge Upper Greensand, and arranged in the Woodwardian Museum of the University of CambridgeSeeley, H. G. (Harry Govier)
Science
The Ornithosauria: An elementary study of the bones of Pterodactyles made from fossil remains found in the Cambridge Upper Greensand, and arranged in the Woodwardian Museum of the University of Cambridge
Seeley, H. G. (Harry Govier)
Pterosauria
Of neither of these bones has a perfect specimen been found. While
fragments of humeri are met with frequently, fragments of these bones
are rare. In accordance with the analogy with birds the Ulna might
be presumed to be the larger bone of the two. But from a study of
German specimens the larger bone is found to be the Radius, which
according to the mammalian plan is placed in front of the ulna. As a
whole, the fore-arm of Ornithosaurians is only to be compared with the
insectivorous mammal _Chrysochloris Capensis_, in which there are also
three bones in the fore-arm,--the third bone like the _Pteroid bone_
in Ornithosaurians, extending about half-way from the carpus to the
humerus, and holding, relatively, a similar position and development to
the fibula in bats.
The pteroid bone articulated with a separate carpal, and was placed
on the side of the arm, adjacent to the radius, which at the distal
end extended in German specimens more inward than the ulna. In
Chrysochloris the third bone appears to be behind the other bones, and
adjacent to the ulna[P].
[Footnote P: See D'Alton and Pander _Chiropteren und Insectivoren_,
Bonn, 1831, pl. 5, Chrysochloris.]
Among neither birds nor reptiles is any comparable modification of
the fore-arm to be found. Then by examining the proximal surface of
the proximal carpal, the characters of the distal end of the Radius
are readily discovered. The proximal carpal shows on the same surface
another articular facets with which however only one fragmentary distal
end of a bone corresponds. That accordingly is identified as the ulna.
Besides these, three other articular ends of bones occur, one of which
fits on to the distal end of the femur. The remaining two are both
large bones, with epiphyses which formed portions of the articular
surfaces, and are usually wanting. One of these bones corresponds in
form with the ulna of a bird, and would fit the facet on the ulnar
side of the distal end of the Pterodactyle humerus. The other bone
is massive with a sub-quadrate articular end, and might well be the
proximal end of the radius. Some specimens are among the largest
fragments of Pterodactyle bone known. The only other bone that either
of these could be is the distal end of the tibia, a bone not yet known,
but probably not unlike that of a bird.
I. Distal End of Ulna.
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