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THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Eric Snively A ... - Ohio University

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The metal frame caused diffraction artifacts, which manifested as radiating<br />

streaks on the image- To sumount this problem, the transparency printouts were<br />

digitized for image processing. I scanned them on a long-bed Relisys Avec Color<br />

Office 2400 scanner into Adobe Photoshop 3.0 for Macintosh, using transmitted<br />

light from an inverted Wolf X-Ray Corp. light table placed on the scanner bed.<br />

Adjustment of contrast in Photoshop minimized the artifacts to a satisfactory<br />

extent. From the cleared images I could easily evaluate the shape of<br />

intermetatarsal articulation surfaces, and possible relative movement, in a given<br />

plane of section.<br />

Materials and methads fbr assessrnent of osteological carrelates<br />

In order to ascertain the distribution and extent of osteological correlates on<br />

theropod metatarsals, I assessed the presence of relevant attachment sites and<br />

measured the probable area of each attachment. I measured the area of the<br />

correlates only when their extent could be precisely detemined. Likely tendon or<br />

ligament correlates were identified on specimens in a satisfactory state of<br />

preservation, using the criteria of ~gosity and delineated faœting outlined above.<br />

Surfaces had to be continuous with cortical bone that had not been diagenetically<br />

eroded; otherwise the surface of infilled spongy bone might be mistaken for<br />

rugosity. This consideration curtailed the sample size, but vagaries of<br />

preservation warranted caution. Problematic taphonomic degeneration was not<br />

present on the metatarsals ultimately chosen for area measurement.<br />

Surface areas of osteological correlates were measured on specimens of<br />

Albertosaurus samphagus (MOR 657), Allosaurus fragiiis (MOR 693),

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