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Bone lamina thickness, bone apposition rates, and age estimates in sauropod humeri and femora

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Abstract

Laminar fibrolamellär bone from the mid-shaft region of sauropod humeri and femora was analyzed quantitatively to understand Variation in lamina thickness and apposition rate. The samples were derived from five taxa (Apatosaurus, Barosaurus, an indeterminate gracile diplodocid,Brachiosaurus, Janenschia) and two localities (Tendaguru beds, Tanzania, and Howe-Stephens Quarry, Morrison Formation, Wyoming, USA). Lamina thickness is rather constant at 4–6 laminae/mm (mean 4.8), independent of locality, taxon, bone, and ontogenetic age, suggesting structural constraints as a cause. Bone apposition rate was calculated in bones with annual growth lines (polish lines) by two methods to serve in age estimates of individuals without growth lines and unsampled individuals. Apposition rates are rather variable (1–20 (jm/day), resulting in a wide bracket for the ages estimated. Our age estimates are compatible with recent estimates derived by other methods, however.

Zusammenfassung

Laminarer fibro-lamellärer Knochen aus der Schaftmitte von Sauropoden-Humeri und -Femora wurde quantitativ analysiert, um die Dickenvariation der Laminae und die Anlagerungsrate des Knochens abzuklären. Untersucht wurde Material von fünf Taxa (Apatosaurus, Barosaurus, ein nicht näher bestimmter graziler Diplodocide,Brachiosaurus, Janenschia) aus zwei Fundstellen (Tendaguru-Schichten, Tansania, und Howe-Stephens Quarry, Morrison-Formation, Wyoming, USA). Die Lamina-Dicke ist ziemlich konstant bei 4–6 Laminae pro Millimeter (Durchschnitt 4,8). Sie ist unabhängig von Fundstelle, Taxon, Knochen und Individualalter, was strukturelle Gründe für ihre geringe Variabilität vermuten lässt. Mit zwei verschiedenen Methoden wurde die Anlagerungsrate des corticalen Knochens für Knochen mit jährlichen Wachstumsmarken (Politurlinien) berechnet. Sie konnte dann zur Abschätzung des Individualalters von Tieren benutzt werden, die keine Wachstumsmarken zeigen bzw. nicht histologisch beprobt wurden. Die Anlagerungsraten sind relativ variabel (1–20 µm pro Tag), woraus relativ ungenaue Altersabschätzungen resultieren. Trotzdem stimmen die Ergebnisse mit kürzlich mit anderen Methoden erzielten Abschätzungen überein.

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  1. Institut für Paläontologie, Universität Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    P. Martin Sander & Christian Tückmantel

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  1. P. Martin Sander
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  2. Christian Tückmantel
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Sander, P.M., Tückmantel, C. Bone lamina thickness, bone apposition rates, and age estimates in sauropod humeri and femora. Paläontol Z 77, 161–172 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03004566

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03004566

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