Cranial characters in Caiman crocodilus (Crocodylia: Alligatoridae) with emphasis on the subspecies distributed in Colombia

Studies on the biology of Caiman crocodilus have drawn attention to its biology with emphasis on systematic, taxonomy and ecology. However, anatomical aspects, such as skull characteristics, have not been studied in detail throughout its geographic range. In this study the skull characteristics for...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Falcón Espitia, Nelson, Jerez, Adriana
Formato: Articulo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2021
Materias:
Zoología
Caimaninae
Skull variation
Geometric morphometrics
Ontogeny
Geographic variation.
Acceso en línea:http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/120242
https://ppct.caicyt.gov.ar/index.php/cuadherpetol/article/view/18736
Aporte de:
SEDICI (UNLP) de Universidad Nacional de La Plata
id I19-R120-10915-120242
record_format dspace
institution Universidad Nacional de La Plata
institution_str I-19
repository_str R-120
collection SEDICI (UNLP)
language Inglés
topic Zoología
Caimaninae
Skull variation
Geometric morphometrics
Ontogeny
Geographic variation.
spellingShingle Zoología
Caimaninae
Skull variation
Geometric morphometrics
Ontogeny
Geographic variation.
Falcón Espitia, Nelson
Jerez, Adriana
Cranial characters in Caiman crocodilus (Crocodylia: Alligatoridae) with emphasis on the subspecies distributed in Colombia
topic_facet Zoología
Caimaninae
Skull variation
Geometric morphometrics
Ontogeny
Geographic variation.
description Studies on the biology of Caiman crocodilus have drawn attention to its biology with emphasis on systematic, taxonomy and ecology. However, anatomical aspects, such as skull characteristics, have not been studied in detail throughout its geographic range. In this study the skull characteristics for C. crocodilus subspecies, C. c. fuscus, C. c. chiapasius, C. c. crocodilus, and C. c. apaporiensis were analyzed using geometric morphometrics and descriptive morphology, including geographic and ontogenetic variation. Variation in skull morphology was found between the subspecies analyzed. Trans-Andean subspecies, C. c. fuscus and C. c. chiapasius, exhibit brevirostrine skulls but they are different in the contact between frontal and nasal bones and the size of the palatine process of the maxilla; therefore, populations in Colombia correspond to C. c. fuscus and, C. c. chiapasus is not distributed in Colombia. Although cis-Andean subspecies, C. c. apaporiensis and C. c. crocodilus, have longirostrine skulls, both subspecies differ in the shape of the skull and in osteological characters; then, adults of C. c. apaporiensis present frontal and nasal in contact and, V-shape maxillary-premaxillary suture; while C. c. crocodilus specimens exhibit a high geographic and ontogenetic variation, supporting the hypotheses that there at least two clades of such subspecies for Colombia. These morphological differences should be considered in future systematics studies and policies on global conservation of the different C. crocodilus subspecies.
format Articulo
Articulo
author Falcón Espitia, Nelson
Jerez, Adriana
author_facet Falcón Espitia, Nelson
Jerez, Adriana
author_sort Falcón Espitia, Nelson
title Cranial characters in Caiman crocodilus (Crocodylia: Alligatoridae) with emphasis on the subspecies distributed in Colombia
title_short Cranial characters in Caiman crocodilus (Crocodylia: Alligatoridae) with emphasis on the subspecies distributed in Colombia
title_full Cranial characters in Caiman crocodilus (Crocodylia: Alligatoridae) with emphasis on the subspecies distributed in Colombia
title_fullStr Cranial characters in Caiman crocodilus (Crocodylia: Alligatoridae) with emphasis on the subspecies distributed in Colombia
title_full_unstemmed Cranial characters in Caiman crocodilus (Crocodylia: Alligatoridae) with emphasis on the subspecies distributed in Colombia
title_sort cranial characters in caiman crocodilus (crocodylia: alligatoridae) with emphasis on the subspecies distributed in colombia
publishDate 2021
url http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/120242
https://ppct.caicyt.gov.ar/index.php/cuadherpetol/article/view/18736
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