On the presence of furculae in some non-maniraptoran theropods

Recently, Bryant and Russell (1993) re-examined the distribution and homology of clavicles and furculae in the Dinosauria. They concluded that among the Theropoda only the oviraptorids Oviraptor and lngenia provide unequivocal evidence for furculae in non-avian theropods and rejected Thulborn's (1984) suggestion that Allosaurus had a furcula. A new allosaurid theropod from the Morrison Formation of Dinosaur National Monument is articulated and nearly complete, lacking only the skull. The skeleton, if complete, would be five to six meters long . Preparation of the pectoral girdle region of this specimen has revealed an in situ furcula in contact with both scapulocoracoids. DINO 11541 is closely related to Allosaurus and the presence of a furcula suggests that Allosaurus also had a furcula and that elements previously described as Allosaurus gastralia from the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry (Madsen, 1976) are actually a growth series of furculae. © 1996 by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.