Do crocodiles have osteoderms?

Crocodiles have very vascularized osteoderms, that serve as protective features and for thermoregulation. Since crocodiles submerge completely underwater for long periods of time, the osteoderms release neutralizing ions into the bloodstream that buffer the accumulating carbon dioxide and prevent acidosis.

What is the purpose of osteoderms?

Osteoderms in crocodilians are known to function in mechanical protection, locomotor support, and acid-base regulation. With a rich vascular supply, osteoderms are also thought to play an active role in crocodilian thermoregulation, allowing the animal to absorb or dissipate heat faster than has non-ossified dermis.

What are osteoderms made of?

Osteoderms are composed of bone tissue, and are derived from a scleroblast neural crest cell population during embryonic development of the organism. The scleroblastic neural crest cell population shares some homologous characteristics associated with the dermis.

What are scutes on an alligator?

Scutes on alligators and crocodiles are the bony, ridged plates that make up the animal’s tough skin, protecting it from predators and possibly helping it regulate its temperature. These scutes have a bony base and are known as osteoderms.

Did T Rex have osteoderms?

They aren’t osteoderms – they’re just large scales. Fossils show that dinosaurs of all kinds have rows of large ornamental scales along their bodies, and I’ve just transferred that to Tyrannosaurus.

Are scutes osteoderms?

Scutes with a bony base are properly called osteoderms. Dermal scutes are also found in the feet of birds and tails of some mammals, and are believed to be the primitive form of dermal armour in reptiles.

What dinosaurs had osteoderms?

They create the unique pattern on the backs of crocodiles, the armor body covering on armadillos, and the distinctive plates of dinosaurs like Stegosaurus and Ankylosaurus. Among the long-necked dinosaurs called sauropods, osteoderms are found in one globally distributed subgroup — the Titanosauria.

How strong is osteoderms?

Compression results indicate that the axial direction is the strongest (UTS ~67 MPa) and toughest (11 MJ/m(3)); this is the orientation in which they undergo the largest external compression forces from predator teeth.

What is the difference between scutes and scales?

Scutes are similar to scales and serve the same function. Unlike the scales of lizards and snakes, which are formed from the epidermis, scutes are formed in the lower vascular layer of the skin and the epidermal element is only the top surface.

What are the different types of scutes?

They are the nuchal scute, located at the forward edge of the carapace, the vertebral scutes that run down the middle, the costal scutes, which are right next to the vertebral scutes, and the marginal scutes that line the outer edge.

Where are osteoderms found?

Osteoderms are bones embedded within the skin and are common among reptiles and some mammals. They create the unique pattern on the backs of crocodiles, the armor body covering on armadillos, and the distinctive plates of dinosaurs like Stegosaurus and Ankylosaurus.

What is the function of osteoderms in an alligator?

Osteoderms are bony scutes embedded underneath the dermal layers of the skin acting as a protection of the alligator (Archosauria: Crocodylia) internal organs and tissues. Additionally, these scutes function as an aid in temperature regulation.

What is the structure of the scute of an alligator?

The alligator scute, which is a bone containing hydroxyapatite and collagen, has a porous structure with features including ligaments and fibers. The porous structure decreases the weight of the osteoderm, ensuring mobility to the alligator.

What is the age of an alligator scute?

The scutes in the present work are from American Alligators with age 8–10 years old. The water content of scutes was measured by drying them in a furnace for 4 h at 100 °C and weighing them before and after the treatment.

What is the hardness of alligator scute?

This is due to the porous structure of alligator scute, indicated by the data in the ellipse in Fig. 6; the lowest hardness value is ~ 280 MPa, while the highest hardness can reach ~ 470 MPa. If an indentation interacts with a pore, the hardness is lower.