Exapophyses

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Exapophyses

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'''Exapophyses''' (singular: '''Exapophysis''') are bony joints present in the cervicals (neck [[Vertebra|vertebrae]]) of some [[Pterosaur|pterosaurs]]. Exapophyses lie on the centrum, the spool-shaped main body of each vertebra, where they are positioned adjacent to the main articulating surfaces between centra. Exapophyses which are next to the cotyle (concave front end of the centrum) are known as '''preexapophyses''' while those at the condyle (convex rear end) are called '''postexapophyses'''. Exapophyses act as accessory articulations, meaning that they complement the cotyle and condyle, as well as the [[Articular processes|zygapophyses]] (plate-like joints which lie on the neural arch above the centrum). The term was coined by [[Samuel Wendell Williston]] in 1897 during a description of ''[[Pteranodon]]'' (which he called "''Ornithostoma''" at the time).<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Exapophyses are a defining trait of the pterosaur subgroup [[Eupterodactyloidea]],<ref name="Bennett94">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> although they are also known to occur in some [[Ctenochasmatidae|ctenochasmatids]].<ref name="AJ08">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> [[Rhamphorhynchidae|Rhamphorhynchids]] and potentially other non-[[Pterodactyloidea|pterodactyloid]] pterosaurs have paired, knob-like extensions on the condyle, but these extensions are not distinctly offset and are not considered [[Homology (biology)|homologous]].<ref name="ACX10"></ref>

== References ==


[[Category:Pterosaur anatomy]]

September 15, 2019 at 02:22AM