Concept of 'Central' or 'Axial' Atlantoaxial Instability

The atlantoaxial joint is the most mobile joint of the spine and is most liable to develop instability. Atlantoaxial instability can be identified on observation of facetal alignment on lateral profile imaging, telltale clinical and radiological evidence and by direct observation of instability by manual manipulation of bones during surgery. Central or axial atlantoaxial instability is when there is no abnormal increase in atlantodental interval on dynamic imaging and there is no dural or neural compression by the odontoid process. Understanding and appropriately treating central or axial atlantoaxial instability can have clinical implications.

Uses for Incomplete Ammonite Sutures: Lateral Lobe and Second Saddle as Markers of Sutural Complexity

Ammonoid sutures are geometric patterns formed by the intersection of the septa and the shell wall, and have long been a diagnostic tool for ammonite researchers for such applications as species identification, taxonomic relationships, ontogenetic change, functional and evolutionary morphology, determination of ecological niche, and other aspects of ammonoid paleobiology. Researchers interested in a variety of paleobiological questions related to ammonoids have almost always required access to the entire hemisuture. Without access to specimens in museum or institutional collections, researchers must rely on previously published illustrations and photographs of ammonoid sutures. However, due to the perspective in photographs, distortion of the marginal elements of suture geometry occurs due to shell curvature near the venter and umbilicus when photographed in profile. The revised approach described here, which we refer to as the Lateral Lobe Saddle, or LLS approach, makes use of only the lateral lobe and second saddle S2 (lateral lobe-second saddle pairs, or LLS) which lie in the central, mid-whorl undistorted sector of a suture line as viewed in lateral, profile shell photos and illustrations. The factors by which fractal dimension of LLS data convert to fractal dimension of the standard hemisuture measurements are largely consistent within genera. The LLS method’s non-requirement of a full hemisuture also facilitates comparisons among sutures within an ontogenetic sequence, or sutures from multiple ammonite taxa where ventral and umbilical sutural elements are hidden by whorl overlap or poor preservation.

A comparative morphological study of the sixth and seventh spinous processes of the cervical vertebrae in extinct and extant species of Equus.

The lateral profile of the 6th and 7th cervical spinous processes (CSPs) were examined in four extantspecies of Equus (n=33); E. caballus (n=26), E. przewalskii (n=3), E. quagga boehmi (n=1), E. asinus (n=3)and compared to pre-domesticated Equus specimens (n=66) representing three known species: E. occidentalis(n=56), E. mosbachensis (n=2), E. curvedins/insulatis (n=1) and unknown Equus species (n=7) from five museums.Six common morphological profiles were revealed: cuneate, curvate, falcate, rudimentary, scalenate,and truncate. For the 6th CSP, the distribution of these morphologies amongst extant Equus is: cuneate, onlyE. asinus; curvate, E. caballus and E. przewalskii always in combination with ligamentum lamina nuchae (lig.lamina nuchae) attachments from the 2nd through to 7th CSP inclusive; falcate, E. caballus and E. przewalskiialways in combination with lig. lamina nuchae attachments from the 2nd through to 7th CSP inclusive;rudimentary, E. caballus always associated with lig. lamina nuchae attachments from the 2nd through to 5thCSP inclusive; scalenate, E. caballus in association with lig. lamina nuchae attachments from the 2nd throughto 5th (n=11) or 7th (n=4) CSP inclusive; truncate, not present. The 6th CSP in museum specimens of Equusexhibits one of four profiles: cuneate (n=10), curvate (n=14), scalenate (n=11) and truncate (n=4). For the 7thCSP, the distribution of these morphologies amongst extant Equus is: curvate, E. caballus mostly associatedwith lig. lamina nuchae attachments from the 2nd through to 5th CSP inclusive, falcate, E. caballus mostly associatedwith lig. lamina nuchae attachments from the 2nd through to 7th CSP inclusive, scalenate, E. caballusassociated with lig. lamina nuchae attachments from the 2nd through to 5th CSP inclusive. Only Rancho LaBrea and Tar Pits Museum provided samples suitable for examination of the 7th CSP. These exhibited fourprofiles: curvate (n=7), falcate (n=11), scalenate (n=2), and truncate (n=7). These findings suggest that thelateral profile of the 6th CSP is of potential use in identification of species; attachments of the lig. lamina nuchaealter the morphology of the 6th and 7th CSP; and that attachments of the lig. lamina nuchae on the 2ndto 7th CSP were likely present in species of Equus prior to domestication.

Revision of the Conodont Mockina slovakensis and Its Paleogeographic Implications for the Upper Triassic Intraplatform Basins of the Alps

Mockina slovakensis, thought to have evolved from Epigondolella praeslovakensis, is an important species of the Norian (Upper Triassic), generally considered as the representative of the uppermost Alaunian to upper Sevatian in the Tethys. The previous description of M. slovakensis was incomplete, thus has led to some misidentifications. We thus update the description of M. slovakensis and discuss its comparisons and occurrence based on the new conodont investigations in Dolomia di Forni and the data from previous literatures. The conodont assemblage in the succession of Dolomia di Forni is dominated by M. slovakensis, along with rare M. postera and E. praeslovakensis. We described two morphotypes of M. slovakensis (morphotypes A and B), on the basis of shape of the lateral profile. These two morphotypes can also be observed in the E. praeslovakensis. Moreover, M. slovakensis is usually documented as almost monospecific conodont association in intraplatform basins, thus its paleogeographic implications are also discussed.

AGE DYNAMICS OF EXTERIOR FEATURES OF BULLS OF EARLY MATURING AND FAST GROWING MEAT AND COMBINED BREEDS

The exterior is closely related to the constitutional characteristics of animals. In the conditions of the steppe zone of Ukraine, as in other regions, research is not enough and this work should be continued, since evolutionary changes in the rocks occur constantly. Therefore, our research is relevant. In the experimental farm of the Institute of Grain Crops, 3 groups of bull-calves of specialized meat Hereford, Charolese and combined Simmental breeds were formed (15 animals each). The content was loose, the feeding conditions were the same. Herefords are smaller than Charolais and are inferior to them in all body measurements (height, width, length, depth). However, they are more compact with pronounced meat forms. Although after 18 months of age, the indicators of articles decreased markedly and some obesity was observed, which confirms their early maturity. Gobies were characterized by a harmonious physique, had rounded shapes, and their lateral profile resembled a rectangle, which indicates a potentially high meat productivity. Their head is short and wide, the neck is short and thick, the chest is deep, wide with rounded ribs, but relatively short, the topline is straight and wide, the back is straight, long, wide, the legs are widely spaced, strong, the muscles are magnificently developed, the skin is loose, thick long hair. At the end of the study, the exterior features of Simmental bulls differed in a greater direction from animals of specialized meat breeds in terms of measurements of such items as height at the withers, back and rump, depth and chest girth. However, they were inferior to them in chest width, in the hips, hip joints, sciatic tubercles.