INIBIOMA   20415
INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES EN BIODIVERSIDAD Y MEDIOAMBIENTE
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
Extreme postcranial pneumaticity in sauropod dinosaurs from South America
Autor/es:
IGNACIO A. CERDA; LEONARDO SALGADO; JAIME POWELL
Revista:
PALAEONTOLOGISCHE ZEITSCHRIFT
Editorial:
SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
Referencias:
Lugar: HEIDELBERG; Año: 2012 vol. 86 p. 441 - 449
ISSN:
0031-0220
Resumen:
Birds are unique among living tetrapods in possessing pneumaticity of the postcranial skeleton, with invasion of bone by the lung and air-sac system. Postcranial skeletal pneumaticity (PSP) has been reported in numerous extinct archosaurs including pterosaurs and nonavian dinosaurs. Here we report a case of extreme PSP in a group of small-bodied, armored sauropod dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous of South America. Based on osteological data, we report an extensive invasion of pneumatic diverticula along the vertebral column, reaching the distal portion of the tail. Also, we provide evidence of pneumaticity in both pectoral and pelvic girdles. Our study reveals that the extreme PSP in archosaurs is not restricted to pterosaurs and theropod dinosaurs.