Pelvic and hindlimb musculature of Tyrannosaurus rex (Dinosauria: Theropoda).
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TLDR
A new reconstruction of the pelvic and hindlimb muscles of the large theropod dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex is developed, using data from both extant and fossil turtles, lepidosaurs, and archosaurs to constrain inferences concerning the soft‐tissue structures in T. rex.Abstract:
In this article, we develop a new reconstruction of the pelvic and hindlimb muscles of the large theropod dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex. Our new reconstruction relies primarily on direct examination of both extant and fossil turtles, lepidosaurs, and archosaurs. These observations are placed into a phylogenetic context and data from extant taxa are used to constrain inferences concerning the soft-tissue structures in T. rex. Using this extant phylogenetic bracket, we are able to offer well-supported inferences concerning most of the hindlimb musculature in this taxon. We also refrain from making any inferences for certain muscles where the resulting optimizations are ambiguous. This reconstruction differs from several previous attempts and we evaluate these discrepancies. In addition to providing a new and more detailed understanding of the hindlimb morphology of T. rex--the largest known terrestrial biped--this reconstruction also helps to clarify the sequence of character-state change along the line to extant birds.read more
Citations
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The Early Evolution of Archosaurs: Relationships and the Origin of Major Clades
TL;DR: This article presented a thorough phylogenetic analysis of 80 species-level taxa ranging from the latest Permian to the early part of the Jurassic using a dataset of 412 characters and discussed in detail and nearly all of the character states are illustrated in either a drawing or highlighted on a specimen photograph.
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Osteology of Tyrannosaurus Rex: Insights from a nearly complete Skeleton and High-Resolution Computed Tomographic Analysis of the Skull
TL;DR: High-resolution x-ray computed tomographic analysis of the skull reveals internal details not previously observed, raising several possibilities, including the complete absence of a bony sternum in tyrannosaurids.
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The phylogeny of Tetanurae (Dinosauria: Theropoda)
TL;DR: An exhaustive examination of all basal tetanurans and all existing character data, taking advantage of recent discoveries and adding new morphological, temporal and geographic data achieved significantly improved phylogenetic resolution.
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Gigantism and comparative life-history parameters of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs
Gregory M. Erickson,Peter J. Makovicky,Philip J. Currie,Mark A. Norell,Scott A. Yerby,Christopher A. Brochu +5 more
TL;DR: Growth patterns within the Tyrannosauridae are studied and it is determined that Tyrannosaurus rex's great stature was primarily attained by accelerating growth rates beyond that of its closest relatives.
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The origin and early radiation of dinosaurs
Stephen L. Brusatte,Sterling J. Nesbitt,Randall B. Irmis,Richard J. Butler,Michael J. Benton,Mark A. Norell +5 more
TL;DR: This paper provided an overview of the first 50 million years of dinosaur history, with a focus on the large-scale patterns that characterize the ascent of dinosaurs from a small, almost marginal group of reptiles in the Late Triassic to the preeminent terrestrial vertebrates of the Jurassic and Cretaceous.
References
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Book
MacClade: Analysis of phylogeny and character evolution
TL;DR: MacClade is a computer program that provides theory and tools for the graphic and interactive analysis of molecular and morphological data, phylogeny, and character evolution, yet its ease of use allows beginning students to grasp phylogenetic principles in an interactive environment.
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The histology of tendon attachments to bone in man.
TL;DR: Based on a parallel study of a wide range of human tendons from embalmed dissecting room subjects and from a study of dried bones, an explanation is offered for the well known similarity in gross appearance between the markings left by certain tendons and by articular surfaces on dried bones.
Journal ArticleDOI
The origin and early evolution of birds
Kevin Padian,Luis M. Chiappe +1 more
TL;DR: There is no evidence for a major or mass extinction of birds at the end of the Cretaceous, nor for a sudden ‘bottleneck’ in diversity that fostered the early Tertiary origination of living bird ‘Orders’.
Journal ArticleDOI
The evolution of femoral osteology and soft tissues on the line to extant birds (Neornithes)
TL;DR: The pattern of morphological evolution is consistent with stepwise functional evolution of the hindlimb within Dinosauromorpha on the line to Neornithes, and the clade Ornithurae evolved the last few hind Limb apomorphies that characterize extant birds, in conjunction with more flexed hip and knee joints.
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Caudofemoral musculature and the evolution of theropod locomotion
TL;DR: Osteological evidence of both origin and insertion indicates that a substantial caudofemoralis longus was present in archosaurs primitively and was retained in the clades Di- nosauria and Theropoda, and strongly suggests that details of the orientation (subhorizontal femur) and movement (primarily knee flexion) of the hind limb in extant birds are more properly viewed as derived, uniquely avian conditions.