Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Geosciences
Date of Award
5-2016
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
James I Mead
Committee Members
Steven Wallace, Blaine Schubert
Abstract
Tropidolaemus wagleri is a species of Asian pitviper with a geographic range including Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Bruniei, parts of Indonesia, and the hilippines. Tropidolaemus is a member of the Crotalinae subfamily, within Viperidae. The genus Tropidolaemus includes five species, and was once included within the genus Trimeresurus. While some osteologic characteristics have been noted a comprehensive description of cranial elements has not been produced for T. wagleri. An in-depth description of the cranial skeleton of Tropidolaemus wagleri lays the foundation for future projects to compare and contrast other taxa within Crotalinae and Viperidae. The chosen reference specimen was compared to the presumed younger specimens to note any variation in ontogeny. The study here provides a comprehensive description of isolated cranial elements as well as a description of ontogenetic change within the specimens observed. This study contributes to the knowledge of osteological characters in T. wagleri and provides a foundation for a long term project to identify isolated elements in the fossil record.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Hill, Nicolette L., "Description of Cranial Elements and Ontogenetic Change within Tropidolaemus wagleri (Serpentes: Crotalinae)." (2016). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3071. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3071
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.