UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

The Himalayan griffon vulture (Gyps himalayensis) is an Old World vulture. The present study examined the pelvic girdle, synsacrum, pygostyle, sternum and ribs of three Himalayan griffon vultures. The synsacrum was a complex and elongated structure formed by the fusion of the last thoracic vertebrae, lumbar vertebrae with the sacrum and the first coccygeal vertebrae. The synsacrum was firmly attached to the ilia of the pelvic girdle. The fusion was so extensive that it was very difficult to identify the individual vertebrae in the adult skeleton. The pelvic girdle of the Himalayan griffon vulture consisted of two hip bones. Each hip bone was composed of three bones, namely the ilium, ischium and pubis. The ilium was an elongated bone situated on the dorsal aspect of the synsacrum. The ilium was further divided into two parts, namely preacetabular and postacetabular parts. The preacetabular part was dorsally concave. It contained cranial and caudal iliac crests. The ischium was a plate-like bone and was located on the ventral aspect of the ilium. The ilium and ischium formed the acetabulum. The acetabulum had an articular area and a perforation. An elongated obturator foramen was also observed ventral to the acetabulum. In addition, an elongated, oval-shaped ilioischiatic foramen was also observed on the caudal aspect of the acetabulum. The pubis was a rod-like bone situated on the ventral aspect of the ischium. The pygostyle of the Himalayan griffon vulture was formed by the fusion of the last eight coccygeal vertebrae. The last segment of the pygostyle was hook-like. The sternum of the Himalayan griffon vulture was a broad, large, pneumatic, rectangular-shaped bone. It had two surfaces, namely dorsal and ventral. The dorsal surface was highly concave and contained pneumatic foramina, whereas the ventral surface was convex. The ventral surface contained a triangular sternal crest. It also had three borders, namely the cranial, caudal and lateral borders. The cranial border was straight and contained a deep groove and sternal spine. The sternal spine was thick and prismatic. It arose from the ventral edge of the cranial border. The caudal border contained a triangular projection and was completely undivided. The lateral border contained five articular cylinders and pneumatic foramina. The anterolateral process was short and thin whereas the posterolateral process joined with the narrow caudal part of the sternum and enclosed a large oval foramen. The ribs of the Himalayan griffon vulture were composed of vertebral and sternal extremities. The vertebral extremities contained a well-developed, long head, neck and tubercle. The lateral surface of the ribs was convex and the medial surface of the ribs was concave. The cranial border presented a groove, whereas the caudal border presented a well-developed uncinate process.