The first record of fossilized soft parts in ossified tendons and implications for the understanding of tendon mineralization
Author
Surmik, Dawid
Author
Słowiak-Morkovina, Justyna
Author
Szczygielski, Tomasz
Author
Wojtyniak, Marcin
Author
Środek, Dorota
Author
Dulski, Mateusz
Author
Balin, Katarzyna
Author
Krzykawski, Tomasz
Author
Pawlicki, Roman
text
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
2023
2023-07-01
198
3
747
766
https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/198/3/747/7076280
journal article
10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad001
0024-4082
8141891
Edmontosaurus regalis
(UAMES 52615)
Both cross-sectioned tendons show a highly porous structure built of fibrous primary matrix (
Fig. 1A–C
). The general structure of the sectioned tendons is homogenous. The matrix is composed of coarse collagenous fibre bundles containing numerous bone cell lacunae (
Fig. 1A, C
). The vascular canals forming the porous structure of the tendons are young Haversian canals (
Fig. 1A–C
). The cross-sectioned larger tendon shows few scattered secondary osteons in the centre of the tendon surrounded by collagen-fibre bundles (
Fig. 1D
). The tendon of a slightly smaller cross-section (
3.5 mm
diameter;
Fig. 1A, B
) is more porous than the larger one (
6 mm
;
Fig. 1C, D
). The different structure between the sampled tendons may result from a different location in the body.