Divergent palate morphology in turtles and birds correlates with differences in proliferation and BMP2 expression during embryonic development.

ABSTRACT: During embryonic development, amniotes typically form outgrowths from the medial sides of the maxillary prominences called palatal shelves or palatine processes. In mammals the shelves fuse in the midline and form a bony hard palate that completely separates the nasal and oral cavities. In birds and lizards, palatine processes develop but remain unfused, leaving a natural cleft. Adult turtles do not possess palatine processes and unlike other amniotes, the internal nares open into the oral cavity. Here we investigate craniofacial ontogeny in the turtle, Emydura subglobosa to determine whether vestigial palatine processes develop and subsequently regress, or whether development fails entirely. We found that the primary palate in turtles develops similarly to other amniotes, but secondary pa

SUBMITTER: Abramyan J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4076469 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature