Currey J D
Department of Biology, University of York, U.K.
J Biomech. 1987;20(11-12):1035-44. doi: 10.1016/0021-9290(87)90021-2.
162 specimens from 19 species of amniote were tested for various mechanical and physical properties to ascertain whether there were characteristic differences between different groups. All mechanical properties showed very great variation. In general the reptiles were not inferior to the mammals and birds. The histology of living forms was compared to that of fossil forms, to see whether 'weak' histology was more characteristic of primitive amniotes. The earliest reptiles probably had rather complaint bone, but it was probably tough. Modern types of bone appeared over two hundred million years ago. Very specialised bone, like that of the bullae of whales and antlers, may have evolved only in the mammals, but the fossil record is not complete enough to assert this confidently.
对来自19种羊膜动物的162个标本进行了各种力学和物理性能测试，以确定不同群体之间是否存在特征差异。所有力学性能都表现出很大的差异。一般来说，爬行动物并不逊色于哺乳动物和鸟类。将现存物种的组织学与化石物种的组织学进行比较，以观察“脆弱”的组织学是否更具原始羊膜动物的特征。最早的爬行动物可能有相当柔韧的骨骼，但可能很坚韧。现代类型的骨骼在两亿多年前就出现了。非常特殊的骨骼，如鲸鱼的鼓泡骨和鹿角，可能只在哺乳动物中进化而来，但化石记录还不够完整，无法确凿地证实这一点。
