Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland.
Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
J Anat. 2021 Feb;238(2):249-287. doi: 10.1111/joa.13312. Epub 2020 Nov 10.
The vomeronasal organ (VNO), nasal cavity, lacrimal duct, choanal groove, and associated parts of the superficial (soft tissue) palate are called the naso-palatal complex. Despite the morphological diversity of the squamate noses, little is known about the embryological basis of this variation. Moreover, developmental data might be especially interesting in light of the morpho-molecular discordance of squamate phylogeny, since a 'molecular scenario' implies an occurrence of unexpected scale of homoplasy also in olfactory systems. In this study, we used X-ray microtomography and light microscopy to describe morphogenesis of the naso-palatal complex in two gekkotans: Lepidodactylus lugubris (Gekkonidae) and Eublepharis macularius (Eublepharidae). Our embryological data confirmed recent findings about the nature of some developmental processes in squamates, for example, involvement of the lateral nasal prominence in the formation of the choanal groove. Moreover, our study revealed previously unknown differences between the studied gekkotans and allows us to propose redefinition of the anterior concha of Sphenodon. Interpretation of some described conditions might be problematic in the phylogenetic context, since they represent unknown: squamate, nonophidian squamate, or gekkotan features.
犁鼻器(VNO)、鼻腔、泪管、鼻后孔沟和上颚(软组织)的相关部分称为鼻腭复合体。尽管有鳞动物的鼻子形态多样,但对于这种变化的胚胎学基础知之甚少。此外,鉴于有鳞动物系统发育的形态-分子不协调性,发育数据可能特别有趣,因为“分子情景”意味着嗅觉系统中也会发生意想不到的同功现象。在这项研究中,我们使用 X 射线微断层扫描和光学显微镜来描述两种壁虎:Lepidodactylus lugubris(壁虎科)和 Eublepharis macularius(Eublepharidae)的鼻腭复合体的形态发生。我们的胚胎学数据证实了最近关于有鳞动物某些发育过程性质的发现,例如,侧鼻隆起参与了鼻后孔沟的形成。此外,我们的研究揭示了研究的壁虎之间以前未知的差异,并允许我们提出重新定义 Sphenodon 的前鼻甲。在系统发育背景下,一些描述的条件的解释可能是有问题的,因为它们代表未知的:有鳞动物、非蛇类有鳞动物或壁虎特征。