Ah, the much awaited dragon anatomy sheet - very sweet! I'm not really sure about those forelegs, though. They seem to extend directly from the chest bone, without any shoulder system. Wouldn't they be attached to a second row of collar bones directly under those to which the wings are attached?

Nope, because they're not arms. They're legs, and so they do socket into the breastbone like that, and have thigh-like structures. Almost no side to side movement on the forelimbs

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"If you are what you eat...I could be you by morning."--Mandy

Are they legs as in a horse's forelegs, or legs as in a horse's backlegs? I'm not saying that a horse's anatomy is the best comparison, but since you brought up the centaur analogy, I find it most proper. I just can't figure out how movement is possible without some shoulder/hip area to this couple of limbs. Moreover, a dragon's chest muscles must be some of the heaviest stuff around, so how does the rib cage support that much weight which with regards to other vertebrae would usually be carried by a system of bones attached to the spine?

Centaur was the wrong analogy to use, but it was the closest thing i could think to something with four legs AND arms/torso. The forelegs of a dragon are more like the legs of a raven: some front and back movement, little to no sideways movement; rotation at the elbow and wrist; all dexterity derived from the forearm. While not detailed enough to depict it (my fault) there is a ball and socket joining at the end of the breastbone from which the forelegs gain movement.

As for the chest muscles, because there is such a large area for the pectorals to cover, they do not have to be overly bulgy. The ribs are connected to the vertebra, and the vertebra even give support to the back muscles which lift the wings.

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"If you are what you eat...I could be you by morning."--Mandy

Okay - you convinced me! Case closed

8P

I like anatomy, especially comparative anatomy, a lot. It intrigues me, especially with the way certain creatures have adapted to their environments

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"If you are what you eat...I could be you by morning."--Mandy

Yep - I have a book comparing different creatures' anatomy, very interesting. It also becomes even more evident how close human beings are to other animals. And, of course, it gives us a lot more understanding of how fantasy creatures and imaginary beings might have been built, making them a lot more believable and authentic

I almost wish someone would do a fantasy physiology book. Like show how angels and other birdmen couldn't have wings coming out of their shoulders. Or how a manticore would be put together, and so on. Too many people slap things together, and don't even care about the basics of the body.

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"If you are what you eat...I could be you by morning."--Mandy