Re: Is that a hyperextensible claw on _Ornitholestes_?!

["Ken Carpenter" <Kcarpenter@dmns.org>]

In the redescription of Ornitholestes (now in press), the foot is illustrated 
in detail for the first time. Although the ungual of II is slightly larger than 
in III or IV, the phalanx to which it articulates (II-2) is missing. Thus we do 
not know if it had an articular surface allowing hyperextension. Furthermore, 
phalanx II-1 is not reduced as in dromaeosaurs. One final point is that the 
skeleton was found mostly disarticulated. We could not be certain that the claw 
wasn't actually from the hand.
Ken

>>> <a23813@ualg.pt> 04/05/04 04:09 AM >>>
I make mine the words of Daniel Bensen on another post to this list: on 
observing the photography of an Ornitholestes fossil mount I couldn't help 
noticing that the pedal II ungual phalanx is about three to four times bigger 
in size than the other pedal ungual phalanges (III and IV) which would seem to 
be consistent with an hyperextensible claw or simply just a big talon.
I'm pointing this out because in most illustrations that relation isn't 
depicted (so far as I can examine).