Re: was: Pterosaur.net now: pteroid

["jrc" <jrccea@bellsouth.net>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Peters" <davidpeters@att.net>
To: "Augusto Haro" <augustoharo@gmail.com>
Cc: "jrc" <jrccea@bellsouth.net>; "Mark Witton" <Mark.Witton@port.ac.uk>; 
<pterosaur.net@googlemail.com>; "Mike Habib" <habib@jhmi.edu>; "dinosaur 
mailing list" <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Saturday, January 16, 2010 9:01 AM
Subject: Re: was: Pterosaur.net now: pteroid



> Please reconstruct these pieces to see if what you are saying is correct. 
> It may be that that was a facet that, via soft tissue, connected to the 
> anterior bend in the Nyctosaurus pteroid, not the short process ball joint.

This is something of a digression, but the base of the quetz pteroid does 
not resemble a ball joint.  It is a clearly defined hinge joint vaguely 
reminiscent of a knee joint but with somewhat more lateral mobility than a 
knee.  I think it might be a mistake to treat the pteroid articulation 
generically as a ball joint.
JimC