The Vertebrate SkeletonReynolds, Sidney H. (Sidney Hugh)
Science
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Reynolds, Sidney H. (Sidney Hugh)
Skeleton
_ARTIODACTYLA._ Just as in the manus, the third and fourth digits are
well and subequally developed; their ungual phalanges have the
contiguous sides flat, and the axis of the limb passes between them,
and between the cuboid and navicular. The astragalus has both the
proximal and distal surfaces pulley-like, and articulates with the
navicular and cuboid by two facets of nearly equal size. The calcaneum
articulates with the lower end of the fibula if that bone is fully
developed.
In the Suina four toes are developed, and though in the Peccaries the
third and fourth metatarsals are united, they are all distinct in most
members of the group, as are all the tarsal bones. In the Hippopotami
the four digits are of approximately equal size, and the middle ones
do not have the contiguous faces of their ungual phalanges flattened.
In the Tragulina the cuboid, navicular, and two outer cuneiforms are
united forming a single bone; all four metatarsals are complete and
the two middle ones are united. In the Tylopoda and _Anoplotherium
commune_ only the third and fourth digits are developed, their
metatarsals are free distally, but are elsewhere united. In the
Ruminantia the cuboid and navicular are always united and so are the
second and third cuneiforms, while in _Cervulus_ all four bones are
united together. The third and fourth metatarsals in Ruminants are
always united in the same way as are the third and fourth metacarpals,
while the second and fifth are always wanting. In Deer the second and
fifth digits are usually each represented by three small phalanges,
but in the Giraffe and most Bovidae the bones of these digits are
wanting.
[Illustration
FIG. 110. _A._ LEFT PES OF A TAPIR (_Tapirus americanus_). × 1/6.
_B._ RIGHT PES OF A RHINOCEROS (_R. sumatrensis_). × 1/8.
_C._ (CAST OF) RIGHT PES OF _Hipparion gracile_. × 1/7.
_D._ RIGHT PES OF A HORSE (_Equus caballus_). × 1/10. (All Camb. Mus.)
1. calcaneum.
2. astragalus.
3. navicular.
4. cuboid.
5. external cuneiform.
6. middle cuneiform.
7. internal cuneiform.]
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