. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. Zoology. Figure 16. Hemipenis of Geodipsas boulengeri (MCZ 181163; specimen from the RNP). Fully everted organ in sulcate (left) and asulcute (right) views. and surrounded by thickened fleshy ridg- es. The taxonomic and functional signifi- cance of this structure is, as yet, unclear. Details of hemipenial morphology of all four described species of Malagasy Geo- dipsas are very similar. Although the organ of infralineata is strongly flexed (Fig. 17), and therefore appears different in config- uration than the other species, th
. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. Zoology. Figure 16. Hemipenis of Geodipsas boulengeri (MCZ 181163; specimen from the RNP). Fully everted organ in sulcate (left) and asulcute (right) views. and surrounded by thickened fleshy ridg- es. The taxonomic and functional signifi- cance of this structure is, as yet, unclear. Details of hemipenial morphology of all four described species of Malagasy Geo- dipsas are very similar. Although the organ of infralineata is strongly flexed (Fig. 17), and therefore appears different in config- uration than the other species, this could be a preparation artifact. Aside from this, the ornamentation of the infralineata or- gan is similar to the other species. At first glance, the prominent diverging rows of greatly enlarged spines on the asulcate sur- face in infralineata seems unique among the species of Geodipsas. However, they also are manifested in the organs of la- phystia, zeny, and boulengeri, although in these species the spines are much less prominent and they number only two or three in a row (Figs. 14-16). Thus, the dis- tinctiveness of the asulcate spine arrange- ment is not as apparent as it is in infrali- neata. In having two enlarged basal spines on the asulcate side (Figs. 14-16), the hemi- penes of laphystia, boulengeri, and zeny differ from those of infralineata, which has only a single spine. This does not seem to be an artifact of the organ of infralineata described because the contralateral organ of the same specimen, as well as both or- gans of three other specimens, had a single spine; however, one specimen of infrali- neata (MCZ 181157) did have a second minute basal spine on both organs in the same position as the second spine in or- gans of the first three species. The basal spine "missing" in infralineata compared to the other three species would be mesial in position in the retracted organ. Aside from minor ornamentation differ- ences, the only seemingly unique feat
Size: 913px × 2738px
Photo credit: © Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorharvarduniversity, bookcentury1900, booksubjectzoology
