Fossil Record 21(1): 159-169, doi: 10.5194/fr-21-159-2018
Osseous anomalies of the cryptobranchid Eoscapherpeton asiaticum (Amphibia: Caudata) from the Late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan
expand article infoPavel Skutschas, Veniamin Kolchanov§, Elizaveta Boitsova§, Ivan Kuzmin§
‡ Saint Petersburg University, Saint Petersburg, Russia§ Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Saint Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia
Open Access
Abstract

Osseous anomalies/pathologies in the Late Cretaceous cryptobranchidsalamander Eoscapherpeton asiaticum from the TuronianBissekty Formation of Uzbekistan areanalyzed using gross morphological description, microCT, and histologicanalysis. These pathologies result fromtrauma (fractured and subsequently healed dentary and femora; hematoma onfemur), possible infection due to trauma (prearticular with exostosis andnecrotic cavities; anterior trunk vertebra and fused vertebra withpathological enlargements formed during reactive periosteal growth) andcongenital disorders (hemivertebra and fused vertebrae with shortenedasymmetrical centra and abnormal arrangements of transverse processes). Theorigin of the pathologies of two atlantal specimens (enlargement oftransverse processes) is unclear. Our report of hemivertebra inEoscapherpeton is the first occurrence of this congenital pathologyin a fossil lissamphibian. The occurrence of several traumatic femoralpathologies in Eoscapherpeton could be a result of intraspecificaggressive behavior. Bone pathologies are described for the first time infossil salamanders.