Conjoined Twin Chiropteran

Urban, Daniel

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Description

Title

Conjoined Twin Chiropteran

Author(s)

Urban, Daniel

Issue Date

2015-04

Keyword(s)

Animal Biology

Abstract

Bats are the only mammals to have evolved the ability of powered flight. As such, the manner in which their forelimbs develop to become wings is a key aspect of understanding their evolutionary history. I am broadly interested in studying the developmental origins of novelty in mammals. What could be more novel than a mammal that can fly? How about one that flies and has two heads. That is exactly what was found when extracting the fetus of this pygmy fruit-eating bat (Artibeus phaeotis) from Belize. This is an instance of dicephalus parapagus fusion, where two heads share a single thoracic, pelvic and lower limb region. The micro-CT scan highlights the left and right heads (in green and purple respectively), as well as, fused portions of the cranium and first cervical vertebrae (in yellow and blue respectively). The remainder of the shared ossified structure is silhouetted in faded red.

Type of Resource

• text
• image

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/75902

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2015 Daniel Urban

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