Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

Plastron Reduction And Associated Myology In Turtles, And Its Implications For Functional Morphology And Natural History, He Zhu

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study seeks to understand the locomotor implications of plastron reduction in turtles through dissection, description and qualitative and quantitative analysis of muscle masses. A comparative study will be conducted between a turtle species with a reduced plastron (Chelydra serpentina) and a species with a full plastron (Trachemys scripta elegans) to gain a better understanding of how the reduced plastron in snapping turtles affects their myology and gait. Quantitative data on muscular mass and length will be obtained for statistical comparison between the two clades. Data collected will be used to make inferences on gait, stance and natural history.