Re: Gastralia

[Crpntr@ix.netcom.com (Kenneth Carpenter)]

You wrote: 

>
>
>
>I need to know more about the distribution of gastralia (belly or 
ventral 
>ribs) among dinosaur groups.  I have seen gastralia in sketches and 
>displays of theropods.  I have also been told that they occur in 
sauropods 
>with Camarosaurus being the first recorded.  I believe Ken Carpenter 
once 
>told me that they may have occurred widely among sauropods.  Does 
anyone 
>know if they are found in ornithiscians??  Any and all info is 
>appreciated; references would be helpful.
>
>Rich Hengst
>
>

They may be a uniting character for the saurischia (Theropoda + 
Sauropoda).  O.C. Marsh (1896) was the first to point them out (and 
illustrate them) in sauropods.  Later, Holland reported them from 
Dinosaur National Monument.  Naturally, von Huene illustrated them for 
prosauropods, as has Cooper, etc.  They apparently donot occur in 
ornithischia.

Oh, by the way.  Our newly remounted Diplodocus has them (9 pairs) based 
on a newly described sauropod from Wyoming.