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Sphaerodactylus Parthenopion
The Virgin Islands dwarf sphaero, Virgin Gorda least gecko, or Virgin Islands dwarf gecko (''Sphaerodactylus parthenopion'') is a species of gecko and also one of the smallest terrestrial vertebrates. It has only been found on three of the British Virgin Islands: Virgin Gorda, Tortola, and Moskito Island (also spelled “Mosquito Island”). It was discovered in 1964 and is suspected to be a close relative of ''Sphaerodactylus nicholsi'', a dwarf sphaero from the nearby island of Puerto Rico. It shares its range with the big-scaled least gecko (''S. macrolepis''), which is found in leaf litter. Unlike this larger gecko, the Virgin Islands dwarf sphaero lives on drier hillsides, yet prefers moist microhabitats found under rocks because it lacks the adaptations necessary for preventing water loss, which is a significant problem due to its small body size. The Virgin Islands dwarf sphaero has a deep brown colour on its upper side, often with a speckling of darker scales. On a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Thomas (herpetologist)
John Paul Richard Thomas (born 1938) is an American taxonomist and systematist, and retired professor of herpetology and evolution at University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (San Juan, Puerto Rico). (Kindle edition). (hardcover). He described several species new to science, mostly amphibians and reptiles, from throughout the Caribbean islands including the common coquí (''Eleutherodactlys coqui)'', the national animal of Puerto Rico. Early life and education Thomas was born in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, on May 2, 1938. At the University of South Florida, Thomas graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in 1969. Later, he went to Louisiana State University and obtained a PhD in 1976. Research Thomas' research has focused mostly on amphibians and reptiles, spanning several fields from natural history to systematics and evolution. His studies have yielded descriptions of new species of dwarf geckos (''Sphaerodactylus''), blind snakes (Scolecophidia), and rain frogs (''Eleutherodactylus''). ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lemur
Lemurs ( ) (from Latin ''lemures'' – ghosts or spirits) are Strepsirrhini, wet-nosed primates of the Superfamily (biology), superfamily Lemuroidea (), divided into 8 Family (biology), families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Most existing lemurs are small, have a pointed snout, large eyes, and a long tail. They arboreal, chiefly live in trees and nocturnal, are active at night. Lemurs share resemblance with other primates, but evolved independently from monkeys and apes. Due to Madagascar's highly seasonal climate, Evolution of lemurs, lemur evolution has produced a level of species diversity rivaling that of any other primate group. Until shortly after humans arrived on the island around 2,000 years ago, there were lemurs as large as a male gorilla. Most species have been discovered or promoted to full species status since the 1990s; however, lemur Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic classification is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lateral
Lateral is a geometric term of location which may refer to: Healthcare *Lateral (anatomy), an anatomical direction *Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle *Lateral release (surgery), a surgical procedure on the side of a kneecap Phonetics *Lateral consonant, an l-like consonant in which air flows along the sides of the tongue **Lateral release (phonetics), the release of a plosive consonant into a lateral consonant Other uses *''Lateral'', journal of the Cultural Studies Association *Lateral canal, a canal built beside another stream *Lateral hiring, recruiting that targets employees of another organization *Lateral mark, a sea mark used in maritime pilotage to indicate the edge of a channel * Lateral stability of aircraft during flight *Lateral pass, a type of pass in American and Canadian football *Lateral support (other), various meanings *Lateral thinking, the solution of problems through an indirect and creative approach *Lateral number, a proposed alternate term for imagi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sphaerodactylus Parthenopion 004
''Sphaerodactylus'' is a genus of geckos from the Americas that are distinguished from other Gekkota by their small size, by their round, rather than vertical, eye pupils, and by each digit terminating in a single, round adhesive pad or scale, from which their name (''Sphaero'' = round, ''dactylus'' = finger) is derived. All species in this genus are rather small, but two species, '' S. ariasae'' and '' S. parthenopion'', are tiny, and – with a snout-vent length of about – the smallest reptiles in the world. Fossil record Fossil remains referred to ''Sphaerodactylus'' have been recovered from Dominican amber. Species The following 108 species are recognized as being valid. *''Sphaerodactylus alphus'' - Guanaja large-scaled geckolet *''Sphaerodactylus altavelensis'' - Alto Velo least gecko, Alto Velo sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus argivus'' - Cayman least gecko *''Sphaerodactylus argus'' - ocellated gecko, ocellated sphaero, stippled sphaero *''Sphaerodactylus ariasae'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sphaerodactylus Ariasae
''Sphaerodactylus ariasae'', commonly called the Jaragua sphaero or the Jaragua dwarf gecko, is the smallest species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. Description ''Sphaerodactylus ariasae'' is the world's smallest known reptile. The second-smallest is '' S. parthenopion'', native to the British Virgin Islands. The Jaragua sphaero measures 14-18 mm (0.55-0.71 in) from the snout to the base of the tail and can fit on a US 25-cent coin. It has an average weight of just 0.13 g (0.00455 of an ounce). By contrast, the blue whale is 1,600 times longer and more than 1 billion times heavier. Geographic range The geographic range of ''S. ariasae'' is believed to be limited to Jaragua National Park, in the southernmost tip of the Barahona Peninsula, in the extreme southwest of the Dominican Republic and nearby forested Beata Island. Habitat The preferred natural habitat of ''S. ariasae'' is the leaf litter of the forest floor of dry forests with limestone substratum. Reprodu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amniote
Amniotes are a clade of tetrapod vertebrates that comprises sauropsids (including all reptiles and birds, and extinct parareptiles and non-avian dinosaurs) and synapsids (including pelycosaurs and therapsids such as mammals). They are distinguished from the other tetrapod clade — the amphibians — by the development of three extraembryonic membranes ( amnion for embryoic protection, chorion for gas exchange, and allantois for metabolic waste disposal or storage), thicker and more keratinized skin, and costal respiration (breathing by expanding/constricting the rib cage). All three main features listed above, namely the presence of an amniotic buffer, water-impermeable cutes and a robust respiratory system, are very important for amniotes to live on land as true terrestrial animals – the ability to reproduce in locations away from water bodies, better homeostasis in drier environments, and more efficient air respiration to power terrestrial locomotions, although the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genetic Divergence
Genetic divergence is the process in which two or more populations of an ancestral species accumulate independent genetic changes (mutations) through time, often leading to reproductive isolation and continued mutation even after the populations have become Reproductive isolation, reproductively isolated for some period of time, as there isn’t genetic exchange anymore. In some cases, subpopulations living in ecologically distinct peripheral environments can exhibit genetic divergence from the remainder of a population, especially where the range of a population is very large (see parapatric speciation). The genetic differences among divergent populations can involve silent mutations (that have no effect on the phenotype) or give rise to significant Morphology (biology), morphological and/or physiology, physiological changes. Genetic divergence will always accompany reproductive isolation, either due to novel adaptations via selection and/or due to genetic drift, and is the principal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sphaerodactylus Townsendi
''Sphaerodactylus townsendi'', known commonly as the Townsend's dwarf sphaero or Townsend's least gecko, is a small species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. The species is endemic to Puerto Rico. Etymology The specific name, ''townsendi'', is in honor of American zoologist Charles Haskins Townsend.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Sphaerodactylus townsendi'', p. 267). Habitat The preferred habitats of ''S. townsendi'' are forest and shrubland at altitudes of , but it may also be found in introduced vegetation. Reproduction ''S. townsendi'' is oviparous. References Further reading *Grant C (1931). "The sphaerodactyls of Porto Rico, Culebra and Mona Islands". ''Journal of the Department of Agriculture of Puerto Rico'' 15: 199–213. (''Sphaerodactylus townsendi'', new species, p. 208). * Rösler H (2000). "''Kommentierte Liste der rezent, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dorsum (anatomy)
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position provides a definition of what is at the front ("anterior"), behind ("posterior") and so on. As part of defining and describing terms, the body is described through the use of anatomical planes and anatomical axes. The meaning of terms that are used can change depending on whether an organism is bipedal or quadrupedal. Additionally, for some animals such as invertebrates, some terms may not have any meaning at all; for example, an animal that is radially symmetrical will have no anterior surface, but can still have a description that a part is close to the middle ("proximal") or further from the middle ("distal"). International organisations have determined vocabularies that are often used as standard vocabularies for subdisciplines of anatom ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Imbricate
Aestivation or estivation is the positional arrangement of the parts of a flower within a flower bud before it has opened. Aestivation is also sometimes referred to as praefoliation or prefoliation, but these terms may also mean vernation: the arrangement of leaves within a vegetative bud. Aestivation can be an important taxonomic diagnostic; for example Malvaceae flower buds have valvate sepals, with the exception of the genera ''Fremontodendron'' and ''Chiranthodendron'', which have sometimes been misplaced as a result. Terminology The terms used to describe aestivation are the same as those used to describe leaf vernation. Classes of aestivation include: * ''crumpled'' * ''decussate Decussation is used in biological contexts to describe a crossing (due to the shape of the Roman numeral for ten, an uppercase 'X' (), ). In Latin anatomical terms, the form is used, e.g. . Similarly, the anatomical term chiasma is named aft ...'' * ''imbricate'' – overlapping ** ''con ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scale (anatomy)
In most biological nomenclature, a scale ( grc, λεπίς, lepís; la, squāma) is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran (butterfly and moth) species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration. Scales are quite common and have evolved multiple times through convergent evolution, with varying structure and function. Scales are generally classified as part of an organism's integumentary system. There are various types of scales according to shape and to class of animal. Fish scales File:Ganoid scales.png, Ganoid scales on a carboniferous fish ''Amblypterus striatus'' File:Denticules cutanés du requin citron Negaprion brevirostris vus au microscope électronique à balayage.jpg, Placoid scales on a lemon shark (''Negaprion brevirostris'') File:RutilusRutilusScalesLateralLine.JPG, Cycloid scales on a common roach (''Rutilus rutilus'') Fish scales are dermally derived, specifically i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family (taxonomy), family. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. :E.g. ''Panthera leo'' (lion) and ''Panthera onca'' (jaguar) are two species within the genus ''Panthera''. ''Panthera'' is a genus within the family Felidae. The composition of a genus is determined by taxonomy (biology), taxonomists. The standards for genus classification are not strictly codified, so different authorities often produce different classifications for genera. There are some general practices used, however, including the idea that a newly defined genus should fulfill these three criteria to be descriptively useful: # monophyly – all descendants ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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