The living members of the clade Archosauria, crocodilians and birds, d
iffer markedly in the morphology of their deep dorsal thigh muscles. T
o investigate whether this diversity is accompanied by differences in
motor pattern and muscle function ? the hindlimbs of representative ar
chosaurs were studied by electromyography and cineradiography during t
errestrial locomotion. In a crocodilian, Alligator, the iliofemoralis
and pubo-ischio-femoralis internus part 2 are both active during the s
wing phase of the stride cycle. This appears to be the primitive motor
pattern for archosaurs. There are four avian homologues of these musc
les in the helmeted guineafowl, Numida. These are primarily active in
the propulsive phase (iliotrochantericus caudalis and iliotrochanteric
us medius), the swing phase (iliotrochantericus cranialis) and a speed
-dependent combination of the propulsive and/or swing phases (iliofemo
ralis externus). Differences between Alligator and Numida in the numbe
r and attachment of deep dorsal muscles are associated with dissimilar
motor patterns and functions. Evolutionary modifications of neuromusc
ular control must be recognized when evaluating avian locomotor histor
y, but are rarely considered by paleontologists. Even within the deep
dorsal thigh muscles of Numida, developmentally and anatomically simil
ar muscles are active out-of-phase. Therefore, although the actions of
two adjacent muscles appear equivalent, their functions may differ dr
amatically. The diversity of deep dorsal thigh muscles in modern birds
may be a good model for studying the relationship between activity pa
ttern and peripheral morphology.