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Germinal Epithelium Cytology During Spermatogenesis In The Alligator Snapping Turtle, Macrochelys Temminckii (Reptilia: Chelydridae), Stanley E. Trauth, Kevin M. Gribbins

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We investigated the cytology of the seminiferous epithelia of the Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii). Spermatogenic and regressed testes were assessed from 2 adult individuals collected in Arkansas in May and September of 1993. Specifically, we focused on the cellular phases of germ cell development and maturation. The germ cell morphology and developmental strategy within the germinal epithelium of M. temminckii appear similar to that of other genera of turtles previously studied. Interestingly, mitotic, meiotic, and spermiogeneic cells are nearly identical to that of other turtles studied based on light microscopy. There are also 6 recognizable steps to …