Thepostcranium( "behind thecranium";plural:postcrania) orpostcranial skeletoninzoologyandvertebrate paleontologyis theskeletonapart from theskull.The postcranium encompasses theaxial skeleton,which includes the entirety of the vertebrae and ribs, and theappendicular skeleton,which includes girdles and limbs.[1]
In paleontology, there may be disagreement over whether the skull and skeleton belong to the same or different animals. One example is the case of the dinosaurNemegtosaurus,which is known only from a skull that was found in the same geologicalformationas the relatedOpisthocoelicaudia,which is only known from postcranial material.[2]
References
edit- ^Holtz, T.R.; Brett-Surman, M.K. (2012). "The Osteology of the Dinosaurs". In Brett-Surman, M.K.; Holtz, T.R.; Farlow, J.O. (eds.).The Complete Dinosaur(2 ed.). Indiana University Press. pp. 135–149.ISBN978-0-253-00849-7.
- ^Currie, Philip J.; Wilson, Jeffrey A.; Fanti, Federico; Mainbayar, Buuvei; Tsogtbaatar, Khishigjav (2018). "Rediscovery of the type localities of the Late Cretaceous Mongolian sauropodsNemegtosaurus mongoliensisandOpisthocoelicaudia skarzynskii:Stratigraphic and taxonomic implications ".Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.494:5–13.Bibcode:2018PPP...494....5C.doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.10.035.hdl:11585/622592.S2CID133748374.
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