FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF A SINGULAR PENGUIN SCAPULA (AVES, SPHENISCIFORMES) FROM THE EOCENE OF ANTARCTICA
Penguins have peculiar modifications in their skeletal anatomy as a consequence of their extremely specialized diving habit. Morphological specialization is particularly evident in the forelimb. However, the kinematics of the pectoral girdle appears to be key to the locomotion of penguins. Penguin s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Milano University Press
2012-11-01
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| Series: | Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/6016 |
| _version_ | 1797765422076919808 |
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| author | CAROLINA ACOSTA HOSPITALECHE ULISES DI CARLO |
| author_facet | CAROLINA ACOSTA HOSPITALECHE ULISES DI CARLO |
| author_sort | CAROLINA ACOSTA HOSPITALECHE |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Penguins have peculiar modifications in their skeletal anatomy as a consequence of their extremely specialized diving habit. Morphological specialization is particularly evident in the forelimb. However, the kinematics of the pectoral girdle appears to be key to the locomotion of penguins. Penguin scapulae have an unusual morphology among birds. Modern penguins have a very large (especially broad) scapula, whereas this bone is long but narrower in basal fossil species. The recent finding of an incomplete scapula with a singular acromion in the Upper Eocene Submeseta Allomember of the La Meseta Formation in the Antarctic Peninsula reveals a scapula proportionally narrower than those of modern penguins but similar to that of Waimanu and possibly other Eocene species. Osteological comparisons and muscular dissections of modern penguins show that the most striking feature is the curvature of the acromion, and the consequent enlargement of the facies articularis clavicularis. The configuration of the acromion and the corpus scapula reflects a lack of functional optimization in terms of the resistance to forces transverse to the body axis. The scapula´s general morphology suggests it belonged to a medium to large-sized penguin species with no so specialized diving skills. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:10:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b8e6f2357c50445282a0f9b1dcc0f9da |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0035-6883 2039-4942 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:10:55Z |
| publishDate | 2012-11-01 |
| publisher | Milano University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia |
| spelling | doaj.art-b8e6f2357c50445282a0f9b1dcc0f9da2023-08-02T01:44:06ZengMilano University PressRivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia0035-68832039-49422012-11-01118310.13130/2039-4942/60165331FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF A SINGULAR PENGUIN SCAPULA (AVES, SPHENISCIFORMES) FROM THE EOCENE OF ANTARCTICACAROLINA ACOSTA HOSPITALECHEULISES DI CARLOPenguins have peculiar modifications in their skeletal anatomy as a consequence of their extremely specialized diving habit. Morphological specialization is particularly evident in the forelimb. However, the kinematics of the pectoral girdle appears to be key to the locomotion of penguins. Penguin scapulae have an unusual morphology among birds. Modern penguins have a very large (especially broad) scapula, whereas this bone is long but narrower in basal fossil species. The recent finding of an incomplete scapula with a singular acromion in the Upper Eocene Submeseta Allomember of the La Meseta Formation in the Antarctic Peninsula reveals a scapula proportionally narrower than those of modern penguins but similar to that of Waimanu and possibly other Eocene species. Osteological comparisons and muscular dissections of modern penguins show that the most striking feature is the curvature of the acromion, and the consequent enlargement of the facies articularis clavicularis. The configuration of the acromion and the corpus scapula reflects a lack of functional optimization in terms of the resistance to forces transverse to the body axis. The scapula´s general morphology suggests it belonged to a medium to large-sized penguin species with no so specialized diving skills.https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/6016EoceneAntarcticaFossil PenguinsFunctional morphologydiving mechanics |
| spellingShingle | CAROLINA ACOSTA HOSPITALECHE ULISES DI CARLO FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF A SINGULAR PENGUIN SCAPULA (AVES, SPHENISCIFORMES) FROM THE EOCENE OF ANTARCTICA Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia Eocene Antarctica Fossil Penguins Functional morphology diving mechanics |
| title | FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF A SINGULAR PENGUIN SCAPULA (AVES, SPHENISCIFORMES) FROM THE EOCENE OF ANTARCTICA |
| title_full | FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF A SINGULAR PENGUIN SCAPULA (AVES, SPHENISCIFORMES) FROM THE EOCENE OF ANTARCTICA |
| title_fullStr | FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF A SINGULAR PENGUIN SCAPULA (AVES, SPHENISCIFORMES) FROM THE EOCENE OF ANTARCTICA |
| title_full_unstemmed | FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF A SINGULAR PENGUIN SCAPULA (AVES, SPHENISCIFORMES) FROM THE EOCENE OF ANTARCTICA |
| title_short | FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF A SINGULAR PENGUIN SCAPULA (AVES, SPHENISCIFORMES) FROM THE EOCENE OF ANTARCTICA |
| title_sort | functional implications of a singular penguin scapula aves sphenisciformes from the eocene of antarctica |
| topic | Eocene Antarctica Fossil Penguins Functional morphology diving mechanics |
| url | https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/6016 |
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