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
The lateral aspects of the bone are at right angles to the proximal and
distal surfaces. They are smooth, a little concave in antero-posterior
extent, and convex in the opposite direction. That one on to which
the marginal articular surface impinges is except for that surface
sub-quadrate in outline; the opposite side has a slightly crescentic
form, the flattened outline being distal. They show several small
foramina.
The distal aspect of the bone is comparatively flat. The distal surface
consists of a smooth unarticular part adjacent to the apex, rather
smaller than the corresponding area on the proximal aspect of the bone.
Between this part and the sub-crescentic articular surface, which
occupies the remainder of the distal area, is a large circular pit,
furthest removed from the side of the bone which forms the sub-apical
marginal articulation. The pit on the apical side shows several small
foramina; on the outer side of the bone the roughened articular
surface extends down the pit side. The articulation is flattened from
side to side of the bone. Its outer margin is slightly prominent, and
the margin of the pit is slightly convex and prominent, so that the
intervening articular surface in the direction between these limits
is concave. It is commonly divided into two parts by a median band
limiting a depressed half, which is in a slightly different plane
from the other half of the articulation. Where the depressed part
terminates towards the marginal articulation, which does not extend
so far distally, there is between the two a small step-like roughened
articular portion.
The large crescentic articulation described gave attachment to the
wing-metacarpal bone; if there was a second metacarpal terminating
in a claw, it must have been attached to the small articulation last
referred to. In No. 20 the pit is extremely small, the impressed part
of the articulation is small and deeply sunk, while the apicular
articulation is widened and shortened so as to make the outline of the
bone quadrate.
III. Lateral Carpal.
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