Richard Forrest

Academic paper

Dinosaur Society Quarterly

4

3

4-17

A specimen of Muraenosaurus cf.M.leedsi (Elasmosauridae) from the Oxford Clay of Peterborough acquired by the Leicester Town Museum (now Leicester New Walk Museum) in 1902 has been the subject of considerable study over the past two years. Multivariate analysis was used to help reconstruct the original sequence of vertebrae in the spine. The results show that there is a clear differentiation of the cervical vertebrae into three types. There are implications in the ontogeny and biomechanics of the neck, pectoral and sacral regions of the spinal column. Multivariate analysis of data from a range of specimens could be a valuable tool in determining taxonomic relationships.

English