Determination of individual age and ontogenetic stages of fossil tetrapods using paleohistological methods
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The determination of individual age and ontogenetic stage (juvenile, subadult, adult) of fossil vertebrates is important for the initial determination of taxonomic affiliation, as well as for further evolutionary and paleobiological interpretations. Determination of individual age and ontogenetic stage (= relative age) is carried out by various methods, including paleohistological analysis. The study of thin sections of tetrapod bones allows us to assume how many years the animal lived (skeletochronological method) and to determine the ontogenetic stage according to a set of age-related histological markers: change in the type of bone matrix and vascularization, change in the distance between growth marks, formation of the external fundamental system (EFS), formation of the inner (endosteal) and outer (periosteal) circumferential layers (OCL, ICL), occurrences of secondary remodeling – Haversian substitution and formation of trabeculae. Depending on the phylogenetic position and biological peculiarities of the study group of tetrapods, the set of age “histologic markers” may be different.
Source: Зоологический журнал
Authors: P. P. Skutschas, V. V. Kolchanov
Institution: St Petersburg University
Language: English
Subfield: Paleontology
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4404948069