Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Japan Top Page

Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Japan Vol.60 No.5/6 (2009)

Cover photograph | Table of Contents

Cover photograph

Drawing of skeleton as preserved of the Utanobori specimen of Desmostylus hesperus

   The present paper gives description of the postcranial elements of this Utanobori specimen. There are only two whole skeletons of Desmostylus of the world, which are now both stored in Japan. The preservation rate of the specimen is about two-thirds and most of the elements retained their articulation. Such is the best-preserved fossil skeleton even among large vertebrates from Japan. Thus, the “gburial position” which is the position of animal after death until its burial in the sediment can be restored. This posture is extremely exceptional for a mammal lying on its back with spread-eagled limbs. Similar burial posture of closely related Paleoparadoxia proved to be the lateral-type limb conformation peculiar to the order Desmostylia.

(Fig and caption: Norihisa Inuzuka)

Table of Contents

Title	Author	PDF
Article
The skeleton of Desmostylus from Utanobori, Hokkaido, Japan, II. Postcranial skeleton.	Norihisa Inuzuka (257-379)	60_05_01.pdf [19.3 MB]

 

Requested from the author, made a correction regarding plate XIII.
Correction place: Plate XIII's #1, right-humerus-front's reversal
Revise, June 17, 2010