Vertebrate Zoology 64(2): 245-249, doi:

A peculiar association: the skin and the subcutaneus diverticula of the Southern Screamer (Chauna torquata, Anseriformes)

Mariana Picasso^‡, María Clelia Mosto, Romina Tozzi, Federico J. Degrange, Claudio G. Barbeito

‡ División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina

Corresponding author: Mariana Picasso ( mpicasso@fcnym.unlp.edu.ar )

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Citation: Picasso M, Mosto MC, Tozzi R, Degrange FJ, Barbeito CG (2014) A peculiar association: the skin and the subcutaneus diverticula of the Southern Screamer (Chauna torquata, Anseriformes). Vertebrate Zoology 64(2): 245-249

Abstract

The aim of this work is to describe for the first time the skin and the subcutaneous diverticula at histological level (by light microscopy) of the Southern Screamer Chauna torquata. We found that the main distinguishing features of the skin were the presence of deep and branched epidermal invaginations whereas in the dermis abundant elastic fibers were found. These skin features could provide a great stretchability to the skin which, in turn, are related to the change of volume that may experience the subcutaneous diverticula.. Since screamers are flying birds that soar to great heights, the presence of subcutaneous diverticula together with another anatomical features (like a great skeletal pneumaticity) could favor a body mass reduction and an optimization in its mode of locomotion.

Keywords

Pneumaticity, epidermis, dermis, air sacs, Aves, Anhimidae