Long Bone Histology of Sauropterygia from the Lower Muschelkalk of the Germanic Basin Provides Unexpected Implications for Phylogeny (original) (raw)
Figure 9
Differences in bone tissue between Cymatosaurus (histotypes A) and Anarosaurus heterodontus (histotype B).
A–B) Humerus showing histotype A bone tissue in A) a juvenile (IGWH-16) and B) an adult (IGWH-20, ventral bone side) individual, both in polarized light. C–D) Humeri showing histotype B bone tissue in C) a juvenile (Wijk08-543) and D) an adult (Wijk08-58, preaxial bone side) individual, both in polarized light. Note the difference in vascular density and tissue organization between histotypes A and B. E–F) Femur showing histotype A bone tissue in an adult individual (IGWH-24, dorsal bone side) in E) polarized and F) normal light. Contrary to histotype A humeri, the inner cortex of femora showing histotype A bone tissue is dominated by large longitudinal vascular canals.