Re: Pneumaticity in Triassic pterosaurs

[Mike Habib <habib@jhmi.edu>]

David Peters wrote:

> Interesting that they didn't even test the other option.  
> Sharovipteryx has hollow leg bones and no one has looked for  
> peneumatic foramina in it. Opportunity missed. All other  
> fenestrasaur taxa are well crushed or 'impressionistic'.

Well, a lot of taxa have bones that look "hollow" in the sense of  
being thin-walled, but were actually apneumatic and marrow-filled in  
life.  Archaeopteryx has quite a few long bone elements like this, for  
example.  Not that looking for pneumatic foramina would be a bad idea,  
mind you.  Just be careful describing the lower limb elements as  
"hollow", as this implies a pneumatic element.

Cheers,

--Mike


Michael Habib, M.S.
PhD. Candidate
Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
1830 E. Monument Street
Baltimore, MD 21205
(443) 280-0181
habib@jhmi.edu