From scales to armor: Scale losses and trunk bony plate gains in ray-finned fishes.

ABSTRACT: Actinopterygians (ray-finned fishes) are the most diversified group of vertebrates and are characterized by a variety of protective structures covering their integument, the evolution of which has intrigued biologists for decades. Paleontological records showed that the first mineralized vertebrate skeleton was composed of dermal bony plates covering the body, including odontogenic and skeletogenic components. Later in evolution, the exoskeleton of actinopterygian's trunk was composed of scale structures. Although scales are nowadays a widespread integument cover, some contemporary lineages do not have scales but bony plates covering their trunk, whereas other lineages are devoid of any such structures. To understand the evolution of the integument coverage and particularly the transition

SUBMITTER: Lemopoulos A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8190451 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature