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Re: Antarctosaurus


Adam Yates (in reply to my question) wrote:

The suprascapular is an extension of the
distal blade. It is usually cartilaginous. As far as I'm aware it rarely
if ever ossifies (but I suppose it could calcify which would lead to
its being preserved) I don't know if it is even present in Archosaurs, I
have observed it in Lizards and Frogs but not much else.

Jain and Bandyopadhyay (1997) believe that _A. septentrionalis_ is an aged individual, which would account for its larger size than _T. indicus_ (This is based on material referred to _T. indicus_ by Swinton (1947), a paper which I haven't seen yet). I suppose the implication is that the cartilaginous "supra-scapula" became ossified in the course of ontogeny, hence its preservation in an aged sauropod specimen. As with furculas in theropods, its ossification may be prone to individual variation.

Is this ossified and coossified supra-scapula a good enough explanation for the scapula of _A. sept_ and _T. indicus_ being so differently-shaped and sized between the two?

By the way Adam, good work on the temnospondyl paper (in the latest _Zool J. Linn Soc_)!!


Tim
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