Preserved elements abbreviation key
Downloadable PDF version available
Preserved Elements
The anatomical description of the specimen is described in this section. Specimen elements are abbreviated. Oftentimes the author of a publication or monograph does not give the side of the element preserved. For example a maxilla will be abbreviated MAX. If it is a fragmented left side of the maxilla, it will be abbreviated L-MAX-f.
The following table lists the abbreviations and their corresponding elements.
| Element | Abbreviation | Notes |
| Articular | ARTC | |
| Astragalus | AST | |
| Atlas (1st cervical vert.) | ATL | |
| Axis (2nd cervical vert.) | AXIS | |
| Basicranium | BASC | |
| Basioccipital | BOCC | |
| Calcaneus | CAL | |
| Calvaria | CALV | |
| Canine | C | |
| Capitate | CAP | |
| Carapace | CARA | |
| Carpal | CAR | |
| Carpometacarpus | CARMET | |
| Caudal vertebra | CAU | |
| Ceratohyal | CRHL | |
| Cervical vertebra | CER | |
| Clavicle | CLA | |
| Claw | CLAW | |
| Cleithrum | CLEI | |
| Coracoid | COR | |
| Cranium | CRA | |
| Cuboid | CUB | |
| Cuneiform | CUNE | |
| Dentary | DNTY | |
| Dermethmoid | DERM | |
| Dermosphenotic | DRMS | |
| Entoplastron | ENPS | |
| Epihyal | EPHL | |
| Epiplastron | EPLS | |
| Ethmoid | ETHM | |
| Fang | FANG | |
| Femur | FEM | |
| Fibula | FIB | |
| Frontal | FRO | |
| Frontlet | FRLT | |
| Gill arch | ARCH | |
| Hamate | HAM | |
| Horn core | HOR | |
| Humerus | HUM | |
| Hyomandibula | HMND | |
| Hypohyal | HYHL | |
| Hypoplastron | HYPL | |
| Incisor | I | |
| Interopercle | IOPL | |
| Jugal | JUG | |
| Lumbar Vertebra | LUM | |
| Mandible | MAN | |
| Mandible and Cranium | SKULL | |
| Maxilla | MAX | |
| Mesethmoid | MSEH | |
| Metacarpal | MTC | |
| Metapodial | MTP | |
| Metatarsal | MTT | |
| Molar | M | |
| Navicular | NAV | |
| Naviculocuboid | CUBNAV | |
| Neural | NRL | |
| Neurocranium | NRCR | |
| Nuchal | NUCH | |
| Occipital | OCC | |
| Opercle | OPER | |
| Ossicone | OSS | |
| Palatine | PAL | |
| Parasphenoid | PSPH | |
| Parietal | PAR | |
| Patella | PAT | |
| Pectoral girdle | PCG | |
| Pelvic girdle | PVG | |
| Peripheral | PERI | |
| Phalanx | PHX | |
| Pisiform | PIS | |
| Plastron | PLAS | |
| Pleural | PLR | |
| Podial | POD | |
| Premaxilla | PMAX | |
| Premolar | P | |
| Preopercle | POPR | |
| Pterotic | PTRC | |
| Pterygiophore | PTYG | |
| Pterygoid | PTER | |
| Pygal | PYG | |
| Quadrate | QUAD | |
| Radioulna | RUL | |
| Radius | RAD | |
| Ray | RAY | |
| Rib | RIB | |
| Sacrum | SAC | |
| Scapula | SCP | |
| Sesamoid | SES | |
| Shell | SHELL | |
| Sphenotic | SPHT | |
| Skeleton (complete) | SKEL | |
| Spine | SPINE | |
| Sternum | STNM | |
| Suborbital | SUBO | |
| Supracleithrum | SPCL | |
| Supraoccipital | SOCC | |
| Supraorbital | SORB | |
| Supraoperculum | SUPP | |
| Suprapygal | SUPY | |
| Talus | TAL | |
| Tarsal | TAR | |
| Tarsometatarsus | TARMET | |
| Temporal bone | TEM | |
| Thoracic vertebrae | THO | |
| Tibia | TIB | |
| Tibofibula | TFB | |
| Tibiotarsus | TBT | |
| Triquetral | TRQL | |
| Tusk | TUSK | |
| Ulna | ULNA | |
| Unidentified limb bone(s) | LIMB | |
| Unknown elements | UK | Author did not provide information on elements preserved |
| Unspecified tooth | TOOTH | |
| Urohyal | URHL | |
| Vertebra | VER | Unidentified vertebra |
| Vomer | VOM | |
| Xiphiplastron | XIPH | |
| Zygomatic bone | ZYG | |
| Prefixes | Abbreviation | |
| Right side of element | R- | For instance R-MAX refers to the right maxilla |
| Left side of element | L- | For instance L-TIB refers to the left tibia |
| Right and left sides | R/L- | Both sides of the element have been preserved |
| Deciduous tooth prefix | d- | |
| *Note: Elements requiring more than one prefix should have the prefixes separated by a slash. For instance, a right deciduous molar would be R/d-M | ||
| Suffixes | Abbreviation | |
| Fragment | -f | Only a fragment of the element has been preserved. |