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Griffins, as winged quadrupeds, have a rather implausible anatomy at first glance. However, they also have many traits that seem to allow for a distinct anatomy

Specifically, this anatomy would involve an extra pair of shoulders near the posterior end of the ribcage. These shoulders would support complete avian hindlegs, which would serve as the griffin's forelegs

A rough diagram

This anatomy may have issues. For example, all four legs attach at more-or-less the rear half of the body, which seems bad for the griffin's balance during take-off or landing

Could this unique anatomy work for the griffin?

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    $\begingroup$ near WHICH end of the ribcage? $\endgroup$
    – Daron
    Jan 9, 2022 at 22:21
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    $\begingroup$ Could you provide a picture, it's difficult to imagine how it might work, there could be ways, but we'd need to know what it looks like. $\endgroup$
    – Escaped dental patient.
    Jan 9, 2022 at 22:46
  • $\begingroup$ @Daron posterior is the back side. Ribs viewed as connected to the spine. The end of it resides below, where an extra pair of shoulders are to be mounted as well. You'd need a kind of "double" shoulders, see turbosquid.com/3d-models/griffin-skeleton-3d-model-1525626 (without, all weight near the neck) or etsy.com/nl/listing/201069747/… (with an extra mount behind) $\endgroup$
    – Goodies
    Jan 9, 2022 at 23:33
  • $\begingroup$ Btw agree with @ARogueAnt about the picture.. which option is it.. $\endgroup$
    – Goodies
    Jan 9, 2022 at 23:41
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    $\begingroup$ I see you've been on worldbuilding asking anatomy questions for a few years now, ever considered learning an artistic skill so you can create and illustrate you ideas? you culd've easily learned a lot in those years $\endgroup$
    – Drien RPG
    Jan 10, 2022 at 8:18

2 Answers 2

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This anatomy is certainly possible for a griffin, though it would come with some trade-offs.

The main issue would be balance. With all four legs attached near the rear of the body, the griffin would have to be very careful during take-off and landing. This could be mitigated somewhat by having a long tail that counterbalances the front half of the body, but it would still be a challenge.

Another issue is that this anatomy would limit the griffin's speed and agility. Having two pairs of legs would add weight and drag, and the placement of the legs would make it difficult to achieve high speeds or make sharp turns.

Overall, this anatomy is possible, but it would come with some trade-offs in terms of speed, agility, and balance.

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What you could do, if you wanted, would be combine the wings and forelegs into something more like an Archaeopteryx. They could walk on the 'hands' of their wings, making a quadruped that would still be plausible in the air.

When walking, it might looks something like a wyvern, with the head held lower than it would as a say, a dog. This would mimic how lions hold their heads a bit, and blend the two just a little more.

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