The obturator process is an anatomical feature on the
pelvis
The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis, or pelvic skeleton).
The ...
of
archosaur
Archosauria () is a clade of diapsids, with birds and crocodilians as the only living representatives. Archosaurs are broadly classified as reptiles, in the cladistic sense of the term which includes birds. Extinct archosaurs include non-avian d ...
s.
It is a raised area of the
bone of the pelvis.
[Romer, Alfred S. (1923) "The Pelvic Musculature of Saurischian Dinosaurs" "Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History" Vol. XLVIII 48:605-617] It is the origin of muscles that attach to the femur and aid in running. These muscles are called M.
pubo-ischio-femoralis externus 1 and 2 in
crocodylia
Crocodilia (or Crocodylia, both ) is an order of mostly large, predatory, semiaquatic reptiles, known as crocodilians. They first appeared 95 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period (Cenomanian stage) and are the closest living ...
ns. In birds the muscles are called the M.
obturatorius lateralis and M.
obturatorius medialis. They insert on the
greater trochanter
The greater trochanter of the femur is a large, irregular, quadrilateral eminence and a part of the skeletal system.
It is directed lateral and medially and slightly posterior. In the adult it is about 2–4 cm lower than the femoral head.Stan ...
of the
femur
The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates with ...
.
[Hutchinson, John R.(2001) "The evolution of femoral osteology and soft tissues on the line to extant birds (Neornithes)" "Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society" 131:169-197] See
proximodorsal process The proximodorsal process is a feature of the skeleton of archosaurs. It may be a pair of tabs or blade - shaped flanges on the pelvis, and serves as an anchor point for the attachment of leg muscles. This process is of particular importance in the ...
References
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Anatomy
Dinosaur anatomy