re: Longisquama "feather" shedding issue

["Jaime A. Headden" <qilongia@yahoo.com>]

Dave Peters (davidrpeters@earthlink.net) wrote:

<I asked Rick Shine, Australian herpetologist: 

I wondered if the dorsal frills of any lizards and/or tuatara are shed?
 
to which he replied:

"Yep, I think the entire epidermis goes . .certainly this is the case in
frillneck lizards.">

  In which case I think Shine is referring to the epidermis. As I pointed out,
the osteocones of the dorsal midline frills in animals as diverse as
sphenodontids, iguanids and agamids, are formed with osteocones surrounded by
the hardened keratin as forms the claws (which are not shed as the epidermis
goes). The frill in the Australian frilled lizard, *Chlamydosaurus kingi*
(Agamidae) is skin surrounding erectile tissues (largely muscles, if I recall
correctly), the frill itself is not shed, just the epidermis covering it.

  Cheers,

Jaime A. Headden

"Innocent, unbiased observation is a myth." --- P.B. Medawar (1969)


                
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