Spines, Thorns, and Spikes

The "Egyptian spine lizard," this animal has been of some puzzle to scientists due both to the strange form of the spines, and to the lack of current ability to study the material shown above, which were destroyed during WWII (as a result of American bombing runs over München during WWII).

The spinal configuration differs from other published configurations.

A shows the primary hypothesis, which places the spines in order from dorsal vertebra 3(or 4) all way to an anterior caudal (also the longest of the spines). The profile of the sail is shorter than in B, which is a secondary hypothesis and follows Stromer's positioning for all vertebrae with a few exceptions, differing primarily in placing the first two spines as dorsals 1 and 3 instead of 3 and 5.

Update: I should note that this skeletal does not include the various other fragementary bits and pieces as well as nearly complete ribs that von Stromer described. this is not meant to be a skeletal diagram in the form of my others, but instead a figurative piece meant for another, more technical venue.

I modified the contour of the silhouette, to accentuate the lack of a cohesive, muscular or fatty margin to the tips of the neural spines. This won't be explained here. I also added a missing centrum into the dorsal series, appropriately placed in both versions (in two different locations, essentially). This centrum was associated with the tallest spine by all other authors, but is clearly an anterior dorsal centrum instead, and thus cannot articulate with the spine.