Skull characteristics play an important role in the systematics of tailed salamanders, in this study, the skulls ofLiua shihi and L. tsinpaensis were compared using a clearing and double-staining technique. The result...Skull characteristics play an important role in the systematics of tailed salamanders, in this study, the skulls ofLiua shihi and L. tsinpaensis were compared using a clearing and double-staining technique. The results showed that in L. tsinpaensis, the vomerine tooth rows are in a ＂ ＂ shape, the length of the inner vomerine tooth series is nearly equal to that of the outer series, the vomerine tooth rows do not extend beyond the choanae, an ossified articular bone is absent, the basibranchial is rod shaped, the radial loops exhibit a figure-eight shape, the cornua has two cylindrical branches, the urohyal is rod shaped, and the end of the ceratohyal is not ossified; these features differ considerably from those of L. shihi. The ossification of the posterior portion of the ceratohyal and the present or absent of ossified articular might represent ecological adaptation to feeding in different environments.展开更多
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC 30900138,31471971)
文摘Skull characteristics play an important role in the systematics of tailed salamanders, in this study, the skulls ofLiua shihi and L. tsinpaensis were compared using a clearing and double-staining technique. The results showed that in L. tsinpaensis, the vomerine tooth rows are in a ＂ ＂ shape, the length of the inner vomerine tooth series is nearly equal to that of the outer series, the vomerine tooth rows do not extend beyond the choanae, an ossified articular bone is absent, the basibranchial is rod shaped, the radial loops exhibit a figure-eight shape, the cornua has two cylindrical branches, the urohyal is rod shaped, and the end of the ceratohyal is not ossified; these features differ considerably from those of L. shihi. The ossification of the posterior portion of the ceratohyal and the present or absent of ossified articular might represent ecological adaptation to feeding in different environments.
