MATERIAL

The nearly complete composite skeleton of Kentrosaurus aethiopicus Hennig, 1915 from the Late Jurassic of Tendaguru, Africa, on exhibit in the MFN, was high-resolution laser scanned bone by bone by Research Casting International (RCI; www.rescast.com) during the museum renovation in 2007. Here, the digital skeletal mount by Mallison (2010a) is used. The tail of this mount (Figure 1; Mallison 2010a, figure 5) is nearly complete and is from one individual (see Mallison 2011). Stegosaur mounts in the DMNS, SMA, and NMS were used for comparison.

For muscle reconstructions, I used cross sections of a healthy Alligator mississippiensis (Daudin, 1802) of ~ 1.4 m total length. The animal was perfused and sectioned into 62 slices by D. Hillmann (Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine), and high-resolution color photographs (example shown in Figure 4.4) were taken by D.R. Wilhite (Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine), who graciously provided them for this project. Twenty of the slices stem from the base and middle part of the tail; the distal part was not sectioned. Each slice was photographed in anterior and posterior view, so that the extents and paths of major muscles are well documented.