Gastralia
Appearance
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Tyrannosaurus_gastralia.jpg/250px-Tyrannosaurus_gastralia.jpg)
Gastralia are bones protecting the ventral area of a vertebrate. They are found in some living and fossil reptiles. Crocodiles, plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, and theropod dinosaurs have gastralia. Unlike ribs, they are not connected to the vertebrae.