Tek bir pul üzerinde kademeli mikro-süsleme değişimleri: Fossorial yılan Xerotyphlops vermicularis örneği

Abstract

Çok katmanlı sürüngen epidermisinin en dış tabakası oberhautchen tabakasıdır. Bu sert tabaka, genellikle mikro-süslemeler olarak adlandırılan hücre altı yapılar taşır. Bu mikro yapılar, türe özgü geniş bir çeşitliliğe sahiptir. Bu farklılaştırıcı morfoloji, araştırmacıları bunların türün taksonomik durumu veya ekolojik rolüyle ilişkili olabileceğini düşünmeye yönlendirmektedir. Bugüne kadar birçok araştırma yapılmış olmasına rağmen, mikro-süslemelerin filogeni veya ekoloji ile ilişkili olup olmadığı tartışması sonuçlanmamıştır. Xerotyphlops vermicularis üzerinde ayrıntılı pul mikro-süs araştırması eksiktir ve mikro-süslemelerin türe özgü olduğu ve hatta aynı örneğin tek bir pulunda bile değiştiği bulunduğundan, bu çalışmayla bu eksikliğin giderilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Sırt deri örnekleri yüzeysel morfoloji açısından taramalı elektron mikroskobu (SEM) ile, çok katmanlı epidermis açısından ise ışık mikroskobu ile incelenmiştir. Tek bir pul yüzeyinde farklı bölgelerde farklı tipte mikro-süslenmelerin bulunduğu, bunların giderek değiştiği; düzgün kenarlı ve yüzeyli üçgen hücrelerin, hücre yüzeyinde çukurlar bulunan dişli kenarlı hücrelere dönüştüğü saptanmıştır. Mikro süsler ile ekoloji/taksonomi arasındaki ilişkinin gerçek niteliğini ortaya koyabilmek için birçok farklı türde benzer, ayrıntılı morfolojik çalışmaların yapılması gerekmektedir.

Keywords

• mikro-süsleme
• epidermis
• çeşitlilik
• Xerotyphlops
• morfoloji

Gradual micro-ornamentation shifts on a single scale: A case of fossorial snake Xerotyphlops vermicularis

Abstract

The outermost surface of multilayered reptile epidermis is called oberhautchen. This hard layer has sub-cellular structures, often called micro-ornamentations. These microstructures have a wide, species-specific variety. This differentiating morphology leads the researchers to think that they might be correlated with either taxonomic state of the species or its ecological role. Even though many research has been conducted, up to date, the debate of whether micro-ornamentations are related to phylogeny or ecology has not resulted. Detailed scale micro-ornamentation research was lacking on Xerotyphlops vermicularis, and since the micro-ornamentations were found to be species-specific and even varying within a singular scale of the same specimen, we aimed to fulfil the lack with the present study. We examined dorsal skin samples with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for surficial morphology and with light microscopy for the multilayered epidermis. We found that different types of micro-ornamentations are present in different regions on a single scale surface, changing gradually; triangular cells with smooth edges and surfaces change into denticulated edges with pits on the cell surface. It is clear that similar, detailed morphological studies need to be conducted in many different species to reveal the true nature of the correlation between micro-ornamentations and ecology/taxonomy.

Keywords

• micro-ornamentation
• epidermis
• diversity
• Xerotyphlops
• morphology

Supporting Institution

No finding information to declare.

Ethical Statement

All the specimens were used from museum materials. No animals were captured from nature.

References

1. [1] Alibardi, L. (2013). Ultrastructural immunocytochemistry for the central region of keratin associated-beta-proteins (beta-keratins) shows the epitope is constantly expressed in reptilian epidermis. Tissue and Cell, 45(4), 241-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tice.2013.01.003
2. [2] Leydig, F. (1873). Über die äußere Bedeckung der Reptilien und Amphibien. Archiv Fur Mikroskopische Anatomie Und Entwicklungsgeschichte, 9,753–794. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02956189 (in German).
3. [3] Picado, T. C. (1931). Epidermal microornaments of the Crotalinae. Bulletin of the Antivenin Institute of America, 4,104–105.
4. [4] Ruibal, R. (1968). The ultrastructure of the surface of lizard scales. Copeia, 1968,698–703. https://doi.org/10.2307/1441836
5. [5] Dowling, H. G., Gilboa, I., Gennaro, J. F. & Gennaro, A. L. (1972). Microdermatoglyphics: a new tool for reptile taxonomy. Herpetological Review, 4,200.
6. [6] Larsen, K. N., Burstein, N. & Smith, H. M. (1973). Phylogenetic trends in the ultradermatoglyphics of the lizard genus Sceloporus. HISS News, 1,112.
7. [7] Burstein, N., Larsen, K. R. & Smith, H. M. (1974). A preliminary survey of dermatoglyphic variation in the lizard genus Sceloporus. Journal of Herpetology, 8, 359–369. https://doi.org/10.2307/1562907
8. [8] Peterson, J. A. (1984). The microstructure of the scale surface in iguanid lizards. Journal of Herpetology, 18(4),437–467. https://doi.org/10.2307/1564106

9. [9] Riedel, J., Vucko, M. J., Blomberg, S. P., Robson, S. K., & Schwarzkopf, L. (2019). Ecological associations among epidermal microstructure and scale characteristics of Australian geckos (Squamata: Carphodactylidae and Diplodactylidae). Journal of Anatomy, 234(6), 853-874. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12969
10. [10] Arrigo, M. I., De Oliveira Vilaca, L. M., Fofonjka, A., Srikanthan, A. N., Debry, A., & Milinkovitch, M. C. (2019). Phylogenetic mapping of scale nanostructure diversity in snakes. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 19(1), 91. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-019-1411-6
11. [11] Price, R. M. (1982). Dorsal snake scale microdermatoglyphics: ecological indicator or taxonomic tool?. Journal of Herpetology, 294-306. https://doi.org/10.2307/1563721
12. [12] Price, R. M. (1983). Microdermatoglyphics: the Liodytes- Regina problem. Journal of Herpetology, 17(3),292–294. https:// doi. org/ 10. 2307/ 15638 38
13. [13] Price, R. & Kelly, P. (1989). Microdermatoglyphics: basal patterns and transition zones. Journal of Herpetology, 244-261. https://doi.org/10.2307/1564446
14. [14] Yenmiş, M., Bayrakcı, Y. & Ayaz, D. (2022). Skin structure, coloration, and habitat utilization in typical and melanistic morphs of the grass snake (Natrix natrix). The Science of Nature, 109(2), 22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-022-01794-w
15. [15] Žagar, A., Konc, K., Hočevar, M., Dajčman, U., Perc, V., Megia-Palma, R., ... & Novak, S. (2025). The microstructure of scales varies in four lizard species. Amphibia-Reptilia, 1(aop), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10231
16. [16] Arnold, E. N. (2002). History and function of scale microornamentation in lacertid lizards. Journal of Morphology, 252(2), 145-169. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.1096
17. [17] Tingle, J. L., Garner, K. L. & Astley, H. C. (2024). Functional diversity of snake locomotor behaviors: a review of the biological literature for bioinspiration. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1533(1), 16-37. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.15109
18. [18] Dhillon, D. S., Teyssier, J., Single, M., Gaponenko, I., Milinkovitch, M. C. & Zwicker, M. (2014). Interactive diffraction from biological Nanaostructures. Computer Graphics Forum, 33(8),177–88. https://doi.org/10.1111/cgf.12425
19. [19] Webb, H. K., Crawford, R. J. & Ivanova, E. P. (2014). Wettability of natural superhydrophobic surfaces. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 210,58–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cis.2014.01.020
20. [20] Spinner, M., Kovalev, A., Gorb, S. N. & Westhoff, G. (2013). Snake velvet black: Hierarchical micro- and nanostructure enhances dark colouration in Bitis rhinoceros. Scientific Reports, 3,1846. https://doi. org/10.1038/srep01846
21. [21] Bonfitto, A., Randi, R., Ciubotaru, M. & Alibardi, L. (2025). Microscopic and ultrastructural observations on the regenerating scales of the lizard Podarcis muralis clarify the origin of the micro-ornamentation. Protoplasma, 262(4), 935-955. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-025-02040-6
22. [22] Budak, A., Göçmen, B. (2008). Herpetoloji. İzmir: Ege Üniversitesi Yayınları
23. [23] Gower, D. J. (2003). Scale microornamentation of uropeltid snakes. Journal of Morphology, 258(2), 249-268. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.10147
24. [24] Allam, A. A. & Abo-Eleneen, R. E. (2012). Scales microstructure of snakes from the Egyptian area. Zoological science, 29(11), 770-775. https://doi.org/10.2108/zsj.29.770
25. [25] Bonfitto, A., Randi, R., Magnani, M. & Alibardi, L. (2023). Micro-ornamentation patterns in different areas of the epidermis in the gecko Tarentola mauritanica reflect variations in the accumulation of corneous material in Oberhautchen cells. Protoplasma, 260(5), 1407-1420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-023-01860-8