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Avian-like tibiotarsi of pterodactyloids (Reptilia: Pterosauria) from the Upper Jurassic of East Africa

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Kurzfassung

Die Tibiotarsi vonDsungaripterus?brancai (Reck) (Oberjura, Ostafrika),D. weii Young (Unterkreide, China) undPuntanipterus globosus Bonaparte & Sánchez (Unterkreide, Südamerika) besitzen ein vogelähnliches Distalende mit folgenden Besonderheiten: an der Vorderseite Anheftungsflächen für ein transversales Ligament, laterale und mediale Ligamenthöcker und eine anteroposterior ausgedehnte, rollenartige Gelenkfläche. Der M. extensor digitorum longus beugte das Fußgelenk und streckte wahrscheinlich auch die Zehen wie bei lebenden Vögeln und Säugetieren. Ein getrennter Sehnenstrang für die erste Zehe verlief wahrscheinlich vom M. flexor digitorum longus in einer Rinne von posteroventral zum mittleren Ligamenthöcker.

Abstract

Tibiotarsi ofDsungaripterus?brancai (Reck) (Upper Jurassic, East Africa),D. weii Young (Lower Cretaceous, China) andPuntanipterus globosus Bonaparte & Sanchez (Lower Cretaceous, South America) have a bird-like distal end with attachment areas for a transverse ligament anteriorly, lateral and medial ligamentous prominences, and an anteroposteriorly, expanded pulley-like articular surface. The M. extensor digitorum longus flexed the ankle and probably also extended the digits as in living birds and mammals. A separate tendinous slip for digit I probably passed from the M. flexor digitorum longus in a groove posteroventral to the medial ligamentous prominence.

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  1. Department of Biology, University of Bridgeport, CT 06602, USA

    Peter M. Galton

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  1. Peter M. Galton
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Galton, P.M. Avian-like tibiotarsi of pterodactyloids (Reptilia: Pterosauria) from the Upper Jurassic of East Africa. Paläont. Z. 54, 331–342 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02988135

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