The Vertebrate SkeletonReynolds, Sidney H. (Sidney Hugh)
Science
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Reynolds, Sidney H. (Sidney Hugh)
Skeleton
The =thigh= is formed by the =femur= (fig. 48, B, 12), a moderately
long stout bone, not unlike the humerus; it articulates with the
acetabulum by a fairly prominent rounded =head=. The distal end
articulating with the tibia and fibula is also expanded, and is
partially divided into equal parts by anterior and posterior grooves.
The flexor surface bears a fairly prominent trochanteric ridge. Each
end of the femur is formed by an epiphysis.
The =crus= or =shin= includes two bones, the =tibia= and =fibula=.
Both are well developed, but the tibia is considerably the larger of
the two.
The =tibia= (fig. 48, B, 13) is a strong bone with a flattened
expanded proximal end articulating with almost the whole of the end of
the femur, and a similarly expanded distal end articulating with a
bone representing the fused astragalus and centrale.
The =fibula= (fig. 48, B, 14) is flattened proximally, and articulates
with only quite a small part of the femur, while distally it is more
expanded, and articulates with the fibulare (calcaneum) and with a
facet on the side of the fused astragalus and centrale.
The =Pes= consists of the =tarsus= or =ankle=, and the =foot=.
The =Tarsus=. This, like the carpus, is much reduced and modified from
the primitive condition. It consists of only four bones, arranged in
two rows of two each. The two bones of the proximal row are much
larger than are those of the distal row. The pre-axial of them (fig.
48, B, 15) representing the fused =astragalus= (tibiale and
intermedium) and =centrale=, articulates proximally with the tibia and
fibula, and distally with the first metatarsal, and a small bone
representing the first three tarsalia. The postaxial bone, the
=calcaneum= (fibulare) (fig. 48, B, 16), is drawn out into a
prominent posterior process forming a heel such as is almost unknown
elsewhere except in mammals. It articulates with the fibula, the
tibiale-centrale, and distally with a bone representing the fourth and
fifth tarsalia, and with the fifth metatarsal.
The two bones forming the distal row of tarsals are both small and
rounded; one represents the first three tarsalia fused together, the
other tarsalia 4 and 5.
The =Foot=. The =foot= has five digits, but the fifth is much reduced,
consisting only of a short metatarsal. The first four =metatarsals=
are all long bones, slightly expanded at each end, and terminated by
small epiphyses. The first digit has two phalanges, the second three,
the third four, and the fourth five. The terminal or =ungual phalanx=
in each instance is grooved and pointed, and in the case of the first
three digits bears a horny claw. The ungual phalanx progressively
decreases in size from the first to the fourth. The fifth digit
consists only of a small, somewhat square metatarsal (fig. 48, B, 21),
attached to the bone representing the fused fourth and fifth
tarsalia.
FOOTNOTES:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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