Hands and wrists again

["Patrick Norton" <ptnorton@msn.com>]

Greetings,

I was recently at the Museum of Natural History in New York and noticed that 
the Deinonychus on exhibit (AMNH 3015)is posed with its radius and ulna 
crossed and its hands pronated (as posed, it could definitely have dribbled 
a basketball!)  I was a little surprised to see the hands in that position, 
given that my understanging of the prevailing opinion seems to be that the 
wrist of such animals probably didn't allow that motion.  Is this just an 
old exhibit (that I somehow overlooked on earlier visits) or does this pose 
indicate the AMNH's current thinking on the kinematics of the Deinonychus 
wrist?  BTW, the specimen is beautiful and apparantly quite complete 
postcranially. If I recall correctly, the sign said it was collected in the 
1930's by Barnum Brown for AMNH, but has never been formally described.

Glad to hear everyone enjoyed Bozeman and arrived safely home!

PTN


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