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While I was messing around with a dead chicken
today ( before cooking it, of course!) I noticed that the humerus
couldn't extend beyond the shoulder joint. It would go flat against the body, or
stick out to the sidde at about 90 degrees, but would not go any further
forward. Is this normal in birds, and does it also hold true for
dromaeosaurs?
Secondly, I'm looking out my window now at a
blackbird eating food in my garden. In spite of the fact that his hind
limbs only work in a parasagittal plane, he's spread his legs really wide to
perch. I can't tell if this abduction is being carried out by the hip or the
knee. The bird's foot is also turned outwards markedly. Can somebody tell me
what degree of hindlimb (and forelimb) mobility is available to
dromaeosaurs?
Thanks in advance,
Michael Lovejoy
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