New information on the scapular musculature of Saturnalia tupiniquim (Dinosauria, Saurischia)

Authors

  • Rafael Delcourt Laboratório de Paleontologia. Museu de Zoologia. Universidade de São Paulo. Av. Nazaré, 481, Ipiranga 04263-000, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
  • Sergio Alex Kugland de Azevedo Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Quinta da Boa Vista, s/n, São Cristóvão, 20940-040, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4013/gaea.2012.81.01

Abstract

A new feature to the scapulocoracoid of the basal dinosaur Saturnalia tupiniquim is here proposed based on new analysis of paratypic material. A shallow pit on the medial portion of the scapula blade seems to represents the scapular origin of the muscle triceps longus caudalis. The presence of this feature suggests that S. tupiniquim had three heads to the triceps muscle: triceps longus caudalis, triceps longus cranialis, and triceps brevis cranialis, indicating a more close anatomical resemblance with lepidosaurs and crocodilians, than to birds. Further analysis on other basal dinosaur scapulae is required to confi rm the existence of those three heads of the triceps in the basal dinosaur lineage or to determine whether this feature is unique to S. tupiniquim.

Key words: Saturnalia tupiniquim, Dinosauria, scapula blade, triceps, Upper Triassic.

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Published

2013-07-30

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 1 (2012): jan/jun

Section

Artigos

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