Vertebral regionalisation
in skates
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