Promoting this to a post of its own, because dang, it deserves it. Frequent commenter Warren just brought to our attention this video, in which legendary* make-up artist Michael Westmore reveals that he based the design of the Klingon foreheads in Star Trek: The Next Generation on dinosaur vertebrae. Lots of discussion on this point between 3:40 and about 5:40 in the video.

Anyone else see these images and really, REALLY want to go dissect one of these bad boys? From the moment I saw this in the trailer, I was thinking: “WANT!” Click to embiggen, and check out the heavy equipment being used to cart off the soft tissue.

Another nice display from the Museum of Osteology in Oklahoma City (previous MoO posts here and here). Check out the really gnarly ones that are indeed growing right through the bones of the face. That must have sucked. We’ve covered rodent teeth here a few times before (one, two)–more than is probably right, for a blog ostensibly about sauropod vertebrae.

Re-posted with permission. Of course, these these days John is better known for this work on the evolution of musculature on the line to birds, tyrannosaur hindlimb mechanics, and elephant anatomy.  But it seems the world lost a promising novelist. [Originally posted on Twitter, by John.] See also: Acaren and the Evil Wizards .