Uh oh, a “why?” question in biology! There are many potential, and not mutually exclusive, answers to such questions. Ultimately there is a historical, evolutionary answer that underpins it all (“ostriches evolved two kneecaps because…”). But we like ostrich knees and their funky double-kneecaps (patellae; singular = patella) so we wanted to know why they […]
Search Results for 'ostrich'
Why do ostriches have two kneecaps in each knee?
Posted in Exalting Archosauria, Shiverin' Sesamoids!, tagged anatomy, boids, dem bones, modelling, patella, publication, ratite, sesamoid on June 8, 2017| 1 Comment »
Ostrich model goes for a simulated run
Posted in Biomechanics, Exalting Archosauria, tagged biomechanics, modelling, ostrich, publication, ratite, RVC on May 4, 2016| 2 Comments »
Last year we finally, after about 14 years of slow work, released our biomechanical model of an ostrich’s hindleg. We showed how it informed us about the potential leverages (moment arms; contributions to mechanical advantage of the joints) of all of the muscles. It was a satisfying moment, to understate it, to finally publish this […]
Freezermas Day 6: Ostrichation: Mindblown (Anarchy-Xray)
Posted in Exalting Archosauria, Freezermas, tagged anatomy, boids, ratite, x-ray on February 14, 2014| 12 Comments »
And I post my blog and stare Into x-rays of an ostrich I’ve always known that radiographs never lie People always say “that’s cool” To see x-rays of an ostrich So keen to know what Lies behind the skin (evolved from “Eyes of A Stranger” by Queensrÿche, from the epic masterpiece of Operation: Mindcrime (1988). […]
Freezermas Day 2: Opening the Ostrich (Postmortem)
Posted in Exalting Archosauria, Freezermas, tagged anatomy, boids, dissection, freezermas, heavy breathing, in all seriousness, ratite on February 10, 2014| 15 Comments »
Freezermas continues! Today we have a treat for you. Lots of detailed anatomy! This post comes from my team’s dissections of an ostrich last week (~3-7 February 2014), which I’ve been tweeting about as part of a larger project called the Open Ostrich. However, before I go further, it’s as important as ever to note […]
A Naked Look at the Dinosaurian Nature of Ostriches
Posted in Exalting Archosauria, tagged anatomy, dinosaur, dissection, evolution, integument, modelling, ratite on May 2, 2012| 21 Comments »
Like other birds, ostriches are fluffy. Too fluffy for some anatomists– so fluffy, it’s hard imagining or estimating what they look like beneath all the feathers. A few years ago, we received an ostrich from a UK farmer. The male bird had been killed by a kick to the neck from another rival, and at […]
Years Seven Through Eight of John’s Freezer
Posted in Uncategorized on March 18, 2020| 3 Comments »
We live in a weird future. In the Coronavirus pandemic anything seems possible; entropy has been set loose from its cage. Within this higgledy-piggledy universe, I realize that I have forgotten to write annual summaries for this blog for the past 2 years (2018-present). Physical distancing means that I can now make amends — will […]
My Kind of Palace
Posted in Museums are Cool, tagged boids, cool cats, crocodile, cryptozoology, dem bones, fossilicious, museum, ratite, skull on August 29, 2019| 6 Comments »
If you go into central Lausanne, Switzerland, you’re likely to pass the Palais du Remine, and if you do, I recommend you go inside. I was happy I did while visiting Lausanne for the AMAM2019 conference. A luxurious palace has been given over to house five (!) free (!) museums on science and culture. These […]
Year Six of Johns Freezer
Posted in Freezermas, tagged freezer love, freezermas, RVC on July 7, 2018| 1 Comment »
I’m a few months late on the six-year anniversary of this blog but finally found some time. (For year 5 go here) It was seemed to be another quiet year on the blog because it was not a quiet year for work or other aspects of life. The DAWNDINOS project got into full swing and there […]
The Bird Knee Challenge
Posted in Anatomy Vignette, tagged anatomy, boids, dem bones, evolution, patella, ratite, sesamoid, what the HELL is that? on December 10, 2017| 9 Comments »
An epiphysean Sispyhean task today: solve this mystery that has been bothering me for >15 years. It’s about bird knees. Read on. Stomach-Churning Rating: 1/10- bones and brief words. Nothing to worry about. Here is an ostrich. I was interviewing undergrads the other day and looked up to see it, then thought something like: “Oh […]
Papers Seen In 2017
Posted in Biomechanics, Croc-cicles, Exalting Archosauria, Two-Dog-Night Tetrapods, tagged anatomy, biomechanics, buddies, crocodile, evolution, fossilicious, modelling, publication, reconstruction, tetrapod on November 25, 2017| Leave a Comment »
As 2017 approaches its end, there have been a few papers I’ve been involved in that I thought I’d point out here while I have time. Our DAWNDINOS project has been taking up much of that time and you’ll see much more of that project’s work in 2018, but we just published our first paper […]
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