Talk:Spondylosoma

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[edit] Characters found in Spondylosoma

Spondylosoma has these characters that are present in both dinosaurians and non-dinosaurians: elongate cervical vertebrae with ridgelike epipophyses, dorsal vertebrae with hyposphene-hypantrum auxiliary articulations, well-developed cranial, medial, and caudal chonoe, and ribs of the two main sacral vertebrae forming a U-shaped articulation to the ilium. Although Galton (2000) identified the ventrally bent condition of the sacral ribs as a rauisuchian affinity, Langer (2004) finds a number of synapomorphies aligning Spondylosoma with Dinosauria: sacral ribs facing laterally, horizontal condition of the dorsal margin of the sacral ribs, and ventral condition of the ventral margin of the sacral ribs, and deltopectoral crest present on the humerus. Because these affinities are more like dinosaurs than rausuchians, I'd say that Spondylosoma represents a dinosauriform closer to Dinosaria than to Marasuchus or Lewisuchus, if new remains of Spondylosoma are found. Time will decide the systematic status of Spondylosoma. 72.194.116.63 03:21, 8 March 2007 (UTC) Vahe Demirjian 19.19 7 March 2007