Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is a common phenomenon and is a central topic in evolutionary biology. Recently, the importance of pursuing an ontogenetic perspective of SSD has been emphasized, to elucidate the proximate physiological mechanisms leading to its evolution. However, such research has seldom focused on the critical periods when males and females diverge. Using mark-recapture data, we...

Fish skin is essential for survival, maintenance of body shape, and protection against the shock and infection. During week 1 of sturgeon larval development, the epidermis is thin and not differentiated in various layers yet, but by week 4-6 the thickness increases and various layers appear, depending upon the region of the body. Mucous cells differentiate early in development on the surface of...

The paper presents the results of age and growth studying Tajikistan toadhead agama Phrynocephalus sogdianus by skeletochronology. A total 29 adult individuals (14 females 15 males) from vicinity Uchkyzil (Termez district, Surkhandarya region, Uzbekistan) were studied. All animals, on section tubular bones had a birth (hatching) line appearing shortly after lizards hatching. majority sample con...

Background: Argas persicus has a great importance for health and veterinary, it can transmit many infectious agents such as Borrelia anserina (avian spirochetosis) and Aegyptianella pullorum. Distinguishing Argasidae due to close morphological relationship is difficult. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we performed molecular analyses based on PCR and sequencing of Amplicon derived from 16S rRN...

Viviparous lizards living in cold climate of high altitude often exhibit atypical reproductive cycles, in which mating and fertilization occur synchronously and annually with parturition occurring at the end of the year. Nevertheless, detailed case studies on atypical reproductive cycles are few. Using anatomical data combined with behavioral observations, we examined the reproductive cycle of ...

Late Triassic plant macro-remains are extremely rare in an equatorial belt stretching across the North of Gondwana from northern South America to Arabia. Located between Laurussian floral province and South, this large area, is almost entirely lacking palaeobotanical data. Thus, region special interest our knowledge provincialism distribution. Based on impressions ferruginous crusts, first reco...