Marshall University Marshall Digital Scholar Biological Sciences Faculty Research Biological Sciences 6-2006 Morphologic and Ontogenetic Patterns in Elasmosaur Neck Length, with Comments on the Taxonomic Utility of Neck Length Variables F. Robin O’Keefe Marshall University,
[email protected] Norton Hiller Follow this and additional works at: http://mds.marshall.edu/bio_sciences_faculty Part of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons, and the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons Recommended Citation O’Keefe FR, Hiller N (2006) Morphologic and ontogenetic patterns in elasmosaur neck length, with comments on the taxonomic utility of neck length variables. Paludicola 5:206–229. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Biological Sciences at Marshall Digital Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Biological Sciences Faculty Research by an authorized administrator of Marshall Digital Scholar. For more information, please contact
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[email protected]. Paludicola 5(4):206-229 June 2006 by the Rochester Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology MORPHOLOGIC AND ONTOGENETIC PATTERNS IN ELASMOSAUR NECK LENGTH, WITH COMMENTS ON THE TAXONOMIC UTILITY OF NECK LENGTH VARIABLES F. Robin O'Keefe1 and Norton Hiller2 1Department of Anatomy, NYCOM 2 rm. 321, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine Old Westbury, New York 11568,
[email protected] 2Canterbury Museum, Rolleston Avenue Christchurch, 8001 New Zealand,
[email protected] ABSTRACT Elasmosaur cervical vertebrae are common fossils, but their taxonomic utility is limited due to a lack of understanding concerning their shape within and among taxa. In this paper, we analyze data from complete elasmosaur necks in an attempt to quantify and understand the variation in centrum dimensions.