The histological structure of glyptosaurine osteoderms (Squamata: Anguidae), and the problem of osteoderm development in squamates

Journal of Morphology
Vivian de BuffrénilJean-Claude Rage

Abstract

Glyptosaurinae, a fossil clade of anguid lizards, possess robust osteoderms, with granular ornamentation. In this study, the structural and histological features of these osteoderms were described in order to reconstruct their developmental pattern and further document the degree of homology that could exist between vertebrate integumentary skeletons. Glyptosaurine osteoderms have a diploe architecture and display an unusually complex structure that includes four tissue types: a core of woven-fibered bone intensely remodeled; a peripheral formation of the same tissue containing dense bundles of long Sharpey fibers; a thick basal layer of lamellar bone; and a superficial layer of a non-osseous material that belongs to the category of hypermineralized tissues such as ganoine, or enameloid and enamel tissues. The growth pattern of glyptosaurine osteoderms involved appositional processes due to osteoblast activity. In early growth stages, osseous metaplasia might have also been involved, but this possibility is not substantiated by histological observations. The superficial layer of the osteoderms must have resulted from epidermal contribution, a conclusion that would support previous hypotheses on the role of epidermal-dermal inte...Continue Reading

References

Aug 1, 1986·The American Journal of Anatomy·V Levrat-Calviac, L Zylberberg
Nov 15, 2006·Journal of Morphology·Robert V Hill
May 9, 2009·Journal of Anatomy·Jean-Yves SireMatthews K Vickaryous
May 9, 2009·Journal of Anatomy·Matthew K Vickaryous, Jean-Yves Sire

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Citations

Oct 10, 2013·Journal of Morphology·Victoria M ArbourPhilip J Currie
Mar 19, 2014·Journal of Morphology·Sebastián SensaleR Ernesto Blanco
Apr 7, 2015·Zoology : Analysis of Complex Systems, ZACS·Marlene SpinnerGuido Westhoff
Aug 25, 2017·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Brooke H Dubansky, Benjamin D Dubansky
Oct 11, 2013·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·M SpinnerG Westhoff
Jun 10, 2019·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Jessica A MaisanoDiane Barber

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