STL Science Center

STL Science Center

17 November 2015

Favorites

As everyone not new here knows, I love a good old fashioned paper. The 1957 description of the anatomy of Potamotherium is not one of my all time favorites, but I do rather enjoy the thoroughness of a good anatomical description of an animal. Partially the allure is in the fact that Savage is painting a picture of animal that no one had seen at that time or had ever dreamed of seeing. This description and the fossil material would eventually enable other anatomists like Leonard Radinsky to study characteristics of the brains of these interesting mustelids (during Radinsky's time a pinniped influence in Potamotherium was not an issue). Potamotherium is a world traveler though. German scientists have discussed the animal as have the Italian journals and the Royal Society (one does not have to be European to publish in either of course).

No comments:

Post a Comment