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Bony projections of neck vertebrae in certain reptiles From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Epipophyses are bony projections of the cervical vertebrae found in archosauromorphs, particularly dinosaurs (including some basal birds).[1] These paired processes sit above the postzygapophyses on the rear of the vertebral neural arch.[1] Their morphology is variable and ranges from small, simple, hill-like elevations to large, complex, winglike projections.[1] Epipophyses provided large attachment areas for several neck muscles; large epipophyses are therefore indicative of a strong neck musculature.[1]
The presence of epipophyses is a synapomorphy (distinguishing feature) of the group Dinosauria.[1] Epipophyses were present in the basal-most dinosaurs, but absent in the closest relatives of the group, such as Marasuchus and Silesaurus.[1] They were typical for most dinosaur lineages; however, they became lost in several derived theropod lineages in the wake of an increasingly S-shaped curvature of the neck.[1][2]
Several scientific papers have observed that epipophyses were present in various non-dinosaur archosauromorphs. These include several pseudosuchians (Batrachotomus, Revueltosaurus, Xilousuchus, Effigia, Hesperosuchus),[3] basal avemetatarsalians (aphanosaurs)[4] non-archosaur archosauriforms (Vancleavea,[5] Halazhaisuchus[6]), rhynchosaurs,[7] several tanystropheids,[8] and allokotosaurs.[9] Sauropod-oriented paleontologist Mike Taylor has informally suggested that epipophyses were also present in the vertebrae of certain pterosaurs.[10][11][12]
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