Skull osteology, neuroanatomy, and jaw-related myology of the pig-nosed turtle Carettochelys insculpta (Cryptodira, Trionychia)

Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2024 Feb 29. doi: 10.1002/ar.25411. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe osteology, neuroanatomy, and musculature are known for most primary clades of turtles (i.e., "families"), but knowledge is still lacking for one particular clade, the Carettochelyidae. Carettochelyids are represented by only one living taxon, the pig-nosed turtle Carettochelys insculpta. Here, we use micro-computed tomography of osteological and contrast-enhanced stained specimens to describe the cranial osteology, neuroanatomy, circulatory system, and jaw musculature of Carettochelys insculpta. The jaw-related myology is described in detail for the first time for this taxon, including m. zygomaticomandibularis, a muscular unit only found in trionychians. We also document a unique arterial pattern for the internal carotid artery and its subordinate branches and provide an extensive list of osteological ontogenetic differences. The present work provides new insights into the craniomandibular anatomy of turtles and will allow a better understanding of the evolutionary history of the circulatory system of trionychians and intraspecific variation among turtles.PMID:38421128 | DOI:10.1002/ar.25411

Source: Anatomical Record - February 29, 2024 Category: Anatomy Authors: Yann Rollot Serjoscha W Evers Gabriel S Ferreira L éa C Girard Ingmar Werneburg Walter G Joyce Source Type: research