Dear Ron,
please note this is not my field BUT!!!
This may sound stuoid but If you look at fossil records of dinosaurs, birds and early mammals. Either biped or quadraped you will find similar bones and bone assemblies even with redundant bones that have virtually wasted away because they are no longer used.

This suggests that there may be a common gentic code to all vertibrates on this planet. At the risk of being burnt at the stake this is an observation (simplistic yes!) that I have made and concluded through having an interest in fosicing for fossils.

please note I am an aerospace engineer so that might explain my off beat observation
Lachlan Thompson
RMIT

<<< Dr Ron Thomson <[log in to unmask]>  8/19  7:35p >>>
I originally asked this question of the biomch-l list.   The reponses so
far have been interesting (I'll collate them eventually) and might have
implications in the engineering of equipment to minimise injury.   Here's
my original question.   Any thoughts?

*************************************
Might seem like a daft question but can anyone tell me why there's a
patella on the knee of a biped (and the rear leg of a quadruped) but not on
the elbow (or front leg)?   If it's because back legs tend to carry greater
loads, is there an evolutionary reason why this asymmetry should have
arisen in the first place?
*************************************

Regards,

Ron.



Dr R D Thomson
Ballistics, Impact + Sports Eng Group
Mech Eng Dept, Glasgow Uni
Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland

tel UK (44) Gla (141) 330 4313
fax UK (44) Gla (141) 330 4343
web http://www.mech.gla.ac.uk/~rthomson

ISEA website:
    http://www.sports-engineering.co.uk/

                        


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