Sunday, December 14, 2014

Feet

Pterosaur feet are like basal paraves feet. Dinosaur feet are not like basal paraves feet.

ivpp.cas.cn/qt/papers/201403/P020140314393548274893.pdf
Distally the [Epidendrosaurus] trochlea of metatarsal I aligns with those of II and III as in advanced perching birds, but not in other known dinosaurs.
The foot of Epidendrosaurus [a Scansoriopterygidae] is unique among nonavian
theropods. Although it does not preserve a reversed
hallux, metatarsal I is articulated with metatarsal II at
such a low position that the trochleae of metatarsals I–IV
are almost on the same level (see Figs. 1, 2d), which
is similar to those of perching birds including the Early
Cretaceous flying birds Sinornis (Sereno 1992) and
Longipteryx (Zhang and Zhou 2001), as well as many arboreal
pterosaurs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scansoriopteryx
It [Scansoriopteryx] also had an unusually large first toe, or hallux, which was low on the foot and may have been reversed, allowing some grasping ability.[1]
The Scansoriopterygidae are among the most basal members of Paraves.


http://www.nature.com/nature/journal.../391886a0.html
Other features of digits I-IV of the D. weintraubi foot indicate a capacity for grasping that is consistent with an ability to climb but is unexpected in an obligate cursor. The claws are moderately curved (nearly as strongly as the claws of the manus); all phalanges except the most proximal have well developed flexor tubercles for the insertion of digital flexors (Fig. 2); and all of the IP joints allow for extensive flexion of the digits (as exhibited by digit IV; Fig. 2). Furthermore, the phalangeal proportions of the digits of Dimorphodon and other basal pterosaurs are similar to those of birds with grasping feet (that is, perching, climbing, and raptorial species) and unlike those of primarily ground-living birds, bipedal dinosaurs and the primitive dinosauromorphs Lagerpeton and Marasuchus.

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