Vertebral regionalisation
in skates

Scan of a vertebral column
CS vertebral column

Vertebrates are a major extant clade of organisms that share the presence of a vertebral column. This structure, however, varies in the number of vertebrae, shape, size, and organisation of vertebral elements.

The vertebral column of skates (and more broadly of cartilaginous fishes) is still poorly known. In this project, we investigate the detailed organisation of the vertebral column in Amblyraja radiata to understand this structure's evolution in vertebrates better.

Methods: microCT scans, clear and stain double coloration

Working with: Richard Cloutier, Yann Bayle, Olivier Larouche, and Cyrena Riley

Related publication:

F. Berio, Y. Bayle, C. Riley, O. Larouche & R. Cloutier (2021). Phenotypic regionalization of the vertebral column in the thorny skate Amblyraja radiata: stability and variation. — Journal of Anatomy. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joa.13551