Compound osteoderms preserved in amber reveal the oldest known skink.
| Autor: | Daza JD; Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, 77341, USA. juand.daza@gmail.com., Stanley EL; Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. elstanley@flmnh.ufl.edu., Heinicke MP; University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI, 48128, USA., Leah C; Houston Museum of Natural Sciences, Houston, TX, 77030, USA., Doucet DS; Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, 77341, USA., Fenner KL; Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA., Arias JS; Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Instituto de Biología Subtropical, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Misiones, and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales, 3300, Posadas, Misiones, Argentina., Smith RDA; Jabatan Geologi, University Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., Peretti AM; Peretti Museum Foundation, Baumschulweg, 13, 6045, Meggen, Switzerland., Aung NN; Peretti Museum Foundation, Baumschulweg, 13, 6045, Meggen, Switzerland.; Myanmar Geosciences Society, Department of Geology, University of Yangon, Yangon, 11041, Myanmar., Bauer AM; Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA. |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Zdroj: | Scientific reports [Sci Rep] 2024 Jul 08; Vol. 14 (1), pp. 15662. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 08. |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-024-66451-w |
| Abstrakt: | Scincidae is one of the most species-rich and cosmopolitan clades of squamate reptiles. Abundant disarticulated fossil material has also been attributed to this group, however, no complete pre-Cenozoic crown-scincid specimens have been found. A specimen in Burmite (99 MYA) is the first fossil that can be unambiguously referred to this clade. Our analyses place it as nested within extant skinks, supported by the presence of compound osteoderms formed by articulated small ostedermites. The specimen has a combination of dorsal and ventral compound osteoderms and overlapping cycloid scales that is limited to skinks. We propose that this type of osteoderm evolved as a response to an increased overlap of scales, and to reduced stiffness of the dermal armour. Compound osteoderms could be a key innovation that facilitated diversification in this megadiverse family. (© 2024. The Author(s).) |
| Databáze: | MEDLINE |
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