|
Epipophysis
Epipophyses are bony projections of the cervical vertebrae found in Archosauromorpha, archosauromorphs, particularly dinosaurs (including some basal birds). These paired process (anatomy), processes sit above the zygapophyses, postzygapophyses on the rear of the vertebral neural arch. Their morphology is variable and ranges from small, simple, hill-like elevations to large, complex, winglike projections. Epipophyses provided large attachment areas for several neck muscles; large epipophyses are therefore indicative of a strong neck musculature. The presence of epipophyses is a synapomorphy (distinguishing feature) of the group Dinosauria. Epipophyses were present in the basal-most dinosaurs, but absent in the closest relatives of the group, such as ''Marasuchus'' and ''Silesaurus''. They were typical for most dinosaur lineages; however, they became lost in several derived theropod lineages in the wake of an increasingly S-shaped curvature of the neck. Several scientific papers ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carnotaurus LA
''Carnotaurus'' (; ) is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous period, probably sometime between 71 and 69 million years ago. The only species is ''Carnotaurus sastrei''. Known from a single well-preserved skeleton, it is one of the best-understood theropods from the Southern Hemisphere. The skeleton, found in 1984, was uncovered in the Chubut Province of Argentina from rocks of the La Colonia Formation. ''Carnotaurus'' is a derived member of the Abelisauridae, a group of large theropods that occupied the large predatorial niche in the southern landmasses of Gondwana during the late Cretaceous. Within the Abelisauridae, the genus is often considered a member of the Brachyrostra, a clade of short-snouted forms restricted to South America. ''Carnotaurus'' was a lightly built, bipedal predator, measuring in length and weighing . As a theropod, ''Carnotaurus'' was highly specialized and distinctive. It had thick horns above the eyes, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
