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Distinctive neural bones in Dipsochelys giant tortoises: Structural and taxonomic characters
Author(s) -
Gerlach Justin
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4687(199904)240:1<33::aid-jmor3>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - biology , carapace , skull , turtle (robot) , genus , anatomy , evolutionary biology , paleontology , zoology , ecology , crustacean
The carapace of turtles consists of characteristic dermal bones (neurals, costal, and pleurals) and epidermal scutes. The variation in neural bone configuration in the Indian Ocean giant tortoise genus Dipsochelys is assessed. Study of 42 specimens supports earlier reports that variation is largely restricted to the anterior and posterior bones. Each species of Dipsochelys possesses a distinctive arrangement of neural bones. The configurations are related to the carapace shape with the relative width of the bones and interdigitating processes influencing structural stability. An exceptional configuration is described for the saddle‐backed species D. arnoldi , wherein this configuration arises from musculoskeletal adaptations for browsing in this species. J. Morphol. 240:33–37, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.