SUMIDA, S.S.*; NORIEGA, K.; FISK, J.; California State Univ. San Bernardino; California State Univ. San Bernardino; Atomic Monkey Digital Modeling: Developing a digital atlas of a centrosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur foot using nearly complete and articulated materials

A nearly complete right hind limb of a centrosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur from the Sage Creek Locality of the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) Dinosaur Park Formation of southern Alberta provides important information regarding the structure and function of the pelvic limb in this group. As the preservation of complete and articulated manual or pedal components of the appendicular skeleton is rare in ceratopsians, the inclusion of a nearly complete right pes in the Sage Creek centrosaurine has the potential to add important information to our understanding of morphology of the centrosaurine pes, hind limb posture, and realistic range of locomotor behavior. The elements of the right foot indicate that metatarsals I-IV were closely packed and tightly bound. Fortuitous preservation of metatarsals I and II, and complete preparation of metatarsal IV indicate that the metatarsals articulated with one another medio-laterally with high congruence, creating a very tight union and allowing little if any splay. Each of the completely prepared elements was subjected to three-dimensional digital scanning, creating: (1) a digital atlas of the specimen elements, and (2) providing a means to more readily test differing hypotheses of pedal morphology and posture.