There are ~34-35 preural vertebrae, including 21-23 abdominal vertebrae (Table 1). It was not possible
to identify a parhypural with certainty. Therefore,
our criterion to distinguish between ural and
preural vertebrae is as follows: we identify the last
preural vertebra as the vertebra with a complete
neural arch and spine and the first enlarged and
laterally compressed haemal spine.
In the abdominal region of †Condorlepis, the
arcual ossifications consist mainly of separate ventral
and dorsal arcocentra (Figure 11.1). Although
ribs are not ossified, each ventral arcocentrum
forms a short, but distinct parapophysis. The dorsalarcual ossifications are high and laterally compressed,
constricted in the middle and expanded
both dorsally and ventrally. The ventral portion of
these basidorsal ossifications clearly corresponds
to the neural arches, and we interpret the dorsal
portion as paired neural spines. All of the abdominal
neural spines are paired in MACN 18630 and
MPEF-PV 1731 (Figure 11.2), but the condition is
variable and the neural spine is unpaired and relatively
short in the last abdominal vertebra in MPEFPV
3958, and in MPEF-PV 1733 and 1556-6 the
neural spines of the two first caudal vertebrae arepaired. The first haemal arch is small and has no
haemal spine