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. 2013 Jun 18;13:123. doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-123

Table 1.

Results of the histological examination of eosauropterygian taxa

Taxon Collection number Bone type Type of section Bone tissue type Number of growth cycles Ontogenetic stage Medullary Index (%) Histological specialization
N. marchicus/ N. winterswijkensis
MfN R 174-2
Humerus
ts of proximal shaft
lzb
7
Adult
42.5
Some osteosclerosis
N. mirabilis
SIPB R 54/2
Humerus
dts, lts of proximal head, 9 ps
lzb
10
Adult
63.8
Much reduced cortex
N. mirabilis
SIPB R 50/2
Femur
dts
lzb
9
Subadult
63.0
None
N. mirabilis
SIPB R 54/1
Femur
dts, lts of proximal head, 8 ps
lzb
8
Adult
42.5
Some osteosclerosis
N. mirabilis
SIPB R 50/1
Femur
dts
lzb
9
Subadult
32.9
Osteosclerosis
N. giganteus
SIPB R 45
Humerus
dts
lzb
EFS
Fully grown
58.8
Much reduced cortex
N. giganteus
SIPB R 53
Humerus
dts
lzb
EFS
Fully grown
77.4
Much reduced cortex
N. giganteus
SIPB R 40
Humerus
ts of proximal shaft
lzb
/
Adult
74.7
Much reduced cortex
N. giganteus
MHI 1903
Humerus
2 mts
lzb
8
/
/
/
N. giganteus
SIPB R 49
Femur
dts
lzb
7
Subadult
75.8
Much reduced cortex
Nothosaurus sp. indet.
MHI 1906
Humerus
dts
lzb
3
Juvenile
35.0
Osteosclerosis
Nothosaurus sp. indet.
MHI 633
Humerus
dts
flb
3
Juvenile
26.9
Thick cortex of flb
Nothosaurus sp. indet.
SMNS 84856
Femur
dts
lzb
10
Adult
27.8
Osteosclerosis
Pistosaurus longaevus
SIPB R 46
Humerus
dts
flb
5
Adult
6.7
Thick cortex of flb
Pistosaurus longaevus
SMNS 84825
Humerus
dts
flb
7
Adult
5.0
Thick cortex of flb
Pistosaurus longaevus
SIPB R 74
Femur
dts
lzb
8
Subadult or adult
65.8
Some osteosclerosis
Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus SIPB R 90 Femur dts flb EFS Fully grown 35.0 Haversian remodeling

Overview of the sampled taxa, long bones, and histological observations. A low MI means a small medullary region. Abbreviations: dts diaphyseal thin section, EFS external fundamental system, flb fibrolamellar bone, lts longitudinal thin section, lzb lamellar zonal bone, mts metaphyseal thin section, ps polished sections, ts thin section, / absent or growth marks not identifiable.