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Paper, 'The nature of the shoulder girdle and clavicular arch in Sauropterygia' by Harry Govier Seeley

Reference number: PP/19/11

Date: 1892

Description

Seeley: 'The Sauropterygia and Ichthyosauria having formerly been combined in the group termed Nexipoda or Enaliosauria, it has been rather assumed than proved that the bones which form the shoulder girdle in those orders are homologous. The Ichthyosaurian shoulder girdle was well figured by Sir E Home (‘Phil. Trans.,’ 1818, Part I) and [Georges] Cuvier (‘Oss. Foss.,’ Pl. 258). Figures by other authors agree substantially (Huxley, ‘Anatomy of Vertebrates,’ p. 244) in showing (1) that the coracoids meet ventrally in the median line; (2) that there is a notch on the anterior margin of the coracoid between the median anterior cartilaginous border of the bone and the scapula, and this notch varies in depth and width with the species; (3) the scapula is directed outward, upward, and forward; (4) its articular end has a posterior part which contributes with the coracoid to form the glenoid cavity for the head of the humerus, a median part, which articulates with the anterior articular edge of the coracoid, and an anterior surface, which does not differ in its cartilaginous articular aspect or thickness from the middle portion, but which looks inward without any bony element of the shoulder girdle to articulate with it. This condition has not been explained.'

Annotations in pencil and ink.

Subject: Saurology / Palaeontology

Received 18 January 1892. Read 18 February 1892.

A version of this paper was published in volume 51 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'The nature of the shoulder girdle and clavicular arch in sauropterygia'.

Reference number
PP/19/11
Earliest possible date
1892
Physical description
Ink and graphite pencil on paper
Page extent
47 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

Harry Govier Seeley

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Citation

Harry Govier Seeley, Paper, 'The nature of the shoulder girdle and clavicular arch in Sauropterygia' by Harry Govier Seeley, 1892, PP/19/11, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/pp_19_11/paper-the-nature-of-the-shoulder-girdle-and-clavicular-arch-in-sauropterygia-by-harry-govier-seeley, accessed on 06 February 2025

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  • Proceedings Papers

    Dates: 1882 - 1894

    The archival collection known as 'Proceedings Papers' is comprised of manuscripts and occasional proofs of scientific papers sent to the Royal Society which were read before meetings of Fellows and printed in full in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.

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