ArticleProceedings. Biological sciences2012
Elbow joint adductor moment arm as an indicator of forelimb posture in extinct quadrupedal tetrapods.
Article in Proceedings. Biological sciences, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.
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22 citing papers in PubMed, 48 citations in OpenAlex.
- From sagittal to sprawled: Clavicular co-option and the evolution of forelimb mechanics in talpines.Journal of anatomy · 2026Article
- Scaling of internal joint distance in the elbow of small- to medium-sized mammals: Implications for range of motion analyses.Journal of anatomy · 2026Article
- Morphofunctional Space of the Forelimb in Caraguatypotherium munozi (Notoungulata; Mesotheriidae): Insights Into Wrist-Powered Digging.Journal of morphology · 2025Article
- Body mass evolution as a driver of morphological and ecological diversity in terrestrial mammals.BMC ecology and evolution · 2025Article
- Muscle function and electromyography: (almost) 70 years since Doty and Bosma (1956).Journal of neurophysiology · 2025Article
- Article
- Elbow dimensions in quadrupedal mammals driven by lubrication regime.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Fossorial mammals emphasise the forelimb muscle moment arms used for digging: New indices for reconstruction of the digging ability and behaviours in extinct taxa.Journal of anatomy · 2023Article
- Convergent evolution of quadrupedality in ornithischian dinosaurs was achieved through disparate forelimb muscle mechanics.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2023Article
- Article
- Mobility of the forearm skeleton in the Asiatic black (Ursus thibetanus), brown (U. arctos) and polar (U. maritimus) bears.The Journal of veterinary medical science · 2021Article
- Musculoskeletal modelling of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) hindlimb: Effects of limb posture on leverage during terrestrial locomotion.Journal of anatomy · 2021Article
- Low elbow mobility indicates unique forelimb posture and function in a giant extinct marsupial.Journal of anatomy · 2021Article
- Validation of an Echidna Forelimb Musculoskeletal Model Using XROMM and diceCT.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2021Article
- The extraordinary osteology and functional morphology of the limbs in Palorchestidae, a family of strange extinct marsupial giants.PloS one · 2019Article
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- A 3D musculoskeletal model of the western lowland gorilla hind limb: moment arms and torque of the hip, knee and ankle.Journal of anatomy · 2017Article
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- Farewell to life on land - thoracic strength as a new indicator to determine paleoecology in secondary aquatic mammals.Journal of anatomy · 2016Article
- Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Forelimb posture has been a controversial aspect of reconstructing locomotor behaviour in extinct quadrupedal tetrapods. This is partly owing to the qualitative and subjective nature of typical methods, which focus on bony articulations that are often ambiguous and unvalidated postural indicators. Here we outline a new, quantitatively based forelimb posture index that is applicable to a majority of extant tetrapods. By determining the degree of elbow joint adduction/abduction mobility in several tetrapods, the carpal flexor muscles were determined to also play a role as elbow adductors. Such adduction may play a major role during the stance phase in sprawling postures. This role is different from those of upright/sagittal and sloth-like creeping postures, which, respectively, depend more on elbow extensors and flexors. Our measurements of elbow muscle moment arms in 318 extant tetrapod skeletons (Lissamphibia, Synapsida and Reptilia: 33 major clades and 263 genera) revealed that sprawling, sagittal and creeping tetrapods, respectively, emphasize elbow adductor, extensor and flexor muscles. Furthermore, scansorial and non-scansorial taxa, respectively, emphasize flexors and extensors. Thus, forelimb postures of extinct tetrapods can be qualitatively classified based on our quantitative index. Using this method, we find that Triceratops (Ceratopsidae), Anhanguera (Pterosauria) and desmostylian mammals are categorized as upright/sagittally locomoting taxa.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.