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Guerra-Fuentes RA, de Sousa RG, da Costa Prudente AL. Embryonic development of the pelvic girdle and hindlimb skeletal elements in Anilius scytale (Linnaeus, 1758) (Serpentes: Aniliidae). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:66-80. [PMID: 37365957 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Anilius scytale is the sister lineage of all other alethinophidian snakes. Morphology of the hind limb complex in adult A. scytale (Aniliidae) has been documented. We herein, for the first time, describe the embryology of the skeletal elements of its hind limb and pelvic girdle and contextualize the evolution of these structures. We identified pregnant females of A. scytale in the Herpetology Collection of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi and separated 40 embryos. The embryos were sequentially staged using external and internal anatomy, collectively comprising a developmental series representing six stages. We cleared-stained one specimen of stages 31, 34, 36, and 37. Using the embryological information gleaned from A. scytale, we reinterpret evidence relating to the ossification of the pelvis and hindlimbs. In A. scytale hindlimb buds develop as transient structures that developed before Stage 30 and regresses in subsequent stages. There is no external or internal evidence of the forelimb or scapular girdle. From Stage 31 onwards the ischium, pubis, ilium, femur and zeugopodial cartilages are visible. Pubis and femur ossify towards the end of embryonic life, and cloacal spurs do not develop in the embryo. Skeletal elements of the hindlimb and pelvic girdle develop initially in the ventral zone of the cloaca-tail region. In subsequent stages the hindlimb and pelvic girdle elements migrate dorsally, with the pubis/ischium positioned medial to the ribs. A similar process may be associated with the achievement of the condition of the pelvic girdle in adults of scolecophidians, pythonids and boids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Arturo Guerra-Fuentes
- Faculdade de Ciências Naturais, Campus Universitário do Tocantins-Cametá, Universidade Federal do Pará, Travessa Padre Antônio Franco, Cametá, Pará, Brazil
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Romário Gemaque de Sousa
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Evolução, Departamento de Zoologia, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Ana Lúcia da Costa Prudente
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Evolução, Departamento de Zoologia, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Pará, Brazil
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Skawiński T, Kaczmarek P, Borczyk B. Embryonic development of the skull in a parthenogenetic lizard, the mourning gecko (Lepidodactylus lugubris). J Anat 2023; 243:618-629. [PMID: 37013262 PMCID: PMC10485588 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Gekkotans are one of the major clades of squamate reptiles. As one of the earliest-diverging lineages, they are crucial in studying deep-level squamate phylogeny and evolution. Developmental studies can shed light on the origin of many important morphological characters, yet our knowledge of cranial development in gekkotans is very incomplete. Here, we describe the embryonic development of the skull in a parthenogenetic gekkonid, the mourning gecko (Lepidodactylus lugubris), studied using non-acidic double staining and histological sectioning. Our analysis indicates that the pterygoid is the first ossifying bone in the skull, as in almost all other studied squamates, followed closely by the surangular and prearticular. The next to appear are the dentary, frontal, parietal and squamosal. The tooth-bearing upper jaw bones, the premaxilla and maxilla, develop relatively late. In contrast to previous reports, the premaxilla starts ossifying from two distinct centres, reminiscent of the condition observed in diplodactylids and eublepharids. Only a single ossification centre of the postorbitofrontal is observed. Some of the endochondral bones of the braincase (prootic, opisthotic, supraoccipital) and the dermal parasphenoid are the last bones to appear. The skull roof is relatively poorly ossified near the time of hatching, with a large frontoparietal fontanelle still present. Many bones begin ossifying relatively later in L. lugubris than in the phyllodactylid Tarentola annularis, which suggests that its ossification sequence is heterochronic with respect to T. annularis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Skawiński
- Museum of Natural History, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Paweł Kaczmarek
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
| | - Bartosz Borczyk
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Conservation of Vertebrates, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
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Kępa M, Tomańska A, Staszewska J, Tarnowska M, Klećkowska-Nawrot J, Goździewska-Harłajczuk K, Kuźniarski A, Gębarowski T, Janeczek M. Functional Anatomy of the Thoracic Limb of the Komodo Dragon ( Varanus komodoensis). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2895. [PMID: 37760295 PMCID: PMC10525242 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the Komodo dragon has been included on The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, it is crucial to know in detail its biology as there is a limited availability of research material on these animals-mainly those who died in zoos or whose remains were found in the wild. Anatomy is essential for understanding physiology, identification of diseases, adaptations in the environment, and behavior. In this dissection study, the relationship of individual anatomical structures was analyzed, the anatomy of the active and passive movement system of the thoracic limb was described, photographs were taken, and a radiographic examination was conducted. This species has its own differences, even within closely related lizard species. Varanus komodoensis possesses triceps muscles with three heads, and the wrist is extended with additional bones for greater flexibility of the hand. The muscles of the forelimb are analogous to the hind limb; however, they differ in the mass of individual muscles, especially those predisposed to perform the most important antigravity and locomotive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Kępa
- Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska St. 1, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland; (M.K.); (J.S.); (J.K.-N.); (K.G.-H.); (M.J.)
| | - Anna Tomańska
- Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska St. 1, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland; (M.K.); (J.S.); (J.K.-N.); (K.G.-H.); (M.J.)
| | - Joanna Staszewska
- Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska St. 1, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland; (M.K.); (J.S.); (J.K.-N.); (K.G.-H.); (M.J.)
| | - Małgorzata Tarnowska
- Division of Histology and Embryology, Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Norwida St. 25, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland;
| | - Joanna Klećkowska-Nawrot
- Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska St. 1, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland; (M.K.); (J.S.); (J.K.-N.); (K.G.-H.); (M.J.)
| | - Karolina Goździewska-Harłajczuk
- Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska St. 1, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland; (M.K.); (J.S.); (J.K.-N.); (K.G.-H.); (M.J.)
| | - Amadeusz Kuźniarski
- Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Wrocław Medical University, Krakowska St. 26, 50-425 Wrocław, Poland;
| | - Tomasz Gębarowski
- Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska St. 1, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland; (M.K.); (J.S.); (J.K.-N.); (K.G.-H.); (M.J.)
| | - Maciej Janeczek
- Department of Biostructure and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska St. 1, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland; (M.K.); (J.S.); (J.K.-N.); (K.G.-H.); (M.J.)
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Tokita M, Sato H. Creating morphological diversity in reptilian temporal skull region: A review of potential developmental mechanisms. Evol Dev 2023; 25:15-31. [PMID: 36250751 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Reptilian skull morphology is highly diverse and broadly categorized into three categories based on the number and position of the temporal fenestrations: anapsid, synapsid, and diapsid. According to recent phylogenetic analysis, temporal fenestrations evolved twice independently in amniotes, once in Synapsida and once in Diapsida. Although functional aspects underlying the evolution of tetrapod temporal fenestrations have been well investigated, few studies have investigated the developmental mechanisms responsible for differences in the pattern of temporal skull region. To determine what these mechanisms might be, we first examined how the five temporal bones develop by comparing embryonic cranial osteogenesis between representative extant reptilian species. The pattern of temporal skull region may depend on differences in temporal bone growth rate and growth direction during ontogeny. Next, we compared the histogenesis patterns and the expression of two key osteogenic genes, Runx2 and Msx2, in the temporal region of the representative reptilian embryos. Our comparative analyses suggest that the embryonic histological condition of the domain where temporal fenestrations would form predicts temporal skull morphology in adults and regulatory modifications of Runx2 and Msx2 expression in osteogenic mesenchymal precursor cells are likely involved in generating morphological diversity in the temporal skull region of reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayoshi Tokita
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiromu Sato
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
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Chuliver M, Scanferla A, Koch C. Ontogeny of the skull of the blind snake Amerotyphlops brongersmianus (Serpentes: Typhlopidae) brings new insights on snake cranial evolution. Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Blind snakes represent the most basal group of extant snakes and include fossorial species with unusual skeletal traits. Despite their known phylogenetic position, little is known about their ontogeny and what it might reveal about the origin of their skull anatomy. Here we describe for the first time the ontogenetic transformations of the skull of a blind snake, the typhlopid Amerotyphlops brongersmianus, including embryos and postnatal individuals. Furthermore, we provide data on the size changes relative to skull growth of the main elements of the gnathic complex. We observed that the skull of this blind snake undergoes considerable morphological change during late ontogeny. Additionally, we detected delayed development of some traits (closure of the skull roof, opisthotic-exoccipital suture, ossification of the posterior trabeculae) simultaneously with clearly peramorphic traits (development of the crista circumfenestralis, growth of the pterygoid bar). Our analysis suggests that the unique skull anatomy of blind snakes displays plesiomorphic and highly autapomorphic features, as an outcome of heterochronic processes and miniaturization, and is shaped by functional constraints related to a highly specialized feeding mechanism under the selective pressures of a fossorial lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Chuliver
- CONICET - Fundación de Historia Natural ‘Félix de Azara’ , Hidalgo 775, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1405BCK , Argentina
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change , Adenauerallee 127, Bonn 53113 , Germany
| | - Agustín Scanferla
- CONICET - Fundación de Historia Natural ‘Félix de Azara’ , Hidalgo 775, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1405BCK , Argentina
| | - Claudia Koch
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change , Adenauerallee 127, Bonn 53113 , Germany
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Klembara J, Yaryhin O, Majerová J, Hain M. Comparative anatomy and ontogeny of appendicular skeleton of Pseudopus apodus (Pallas, 1775) (Anguimorpha, Anguidae) and a pattern of hindlimb loss in Anguinae. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 305:2290-2311. [PMID: 34881500 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
We present a detailed anatomy of the pectoral girdles, pelvic girdles, and hindlimbs of adult and juvenile specimens of Pseudopus apodus (Pallas, 1775). We compared the individual bones of the appendicular skeleton of P. apodus with those of Anguis fragilis and species of Ophisaurus living in North America, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. We found no anatomical features in P. apodus in common with the species of Ophisaurus living in only North America, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. Additionally, we present the prehatching ontogeny of the pelvic girdle of P. apodus and A. fragilis and the prehatching ontogeny of the hindlimb of P. apodus. In the ontogeny of the pelvic girdle of P. apodus, it is possible to distinguish the ossification centers of ilium, ischium, and pubis. In contrast, in the ontogeny of A. fragilis, no ossification centers of ilium, ischium, and pubis are present, and no hindlimb element was detected. In Stage 1 of ontogeny in Pseudopus, the femur and tibia are present; in Stage 2, the nodule representing the fibula appears; and in Stage 3, in addition to the femur, tibia, and fibula, four tarsal elements are present. This anatomical condition corresponds to the anatomical composition of the hindlimb of the adult O. koellikeri. In Stage 4, the involution of all tarsal elements and fibula begins, and in the last two prehatching stages, only femur and tibia remain; this condition is present not only in the adults of Pseudopus, but also in those of several other species of Ophisaurus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jozef Klembara
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Ecology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Oleksandr Yaryhin
- Department of Evolutionary Morphology, Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Jana Majerová
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Ecology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Miroslav Hain
- Institute of Measurement Science, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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