The Digital Morphology library is a dynamic archive of information on digital morphology and
high-resolution X-ray computed tomography of biological specimens. Browse through the site and see spectacular imagery and animations and details on the morphology of many representatives of the Earth's biota.
Recent additions or updates to the site include:
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Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima is a member of Geoemydidae, a clade that originated in the Tertiary. The genus is the only member of Geoemydidae to occur in the New World. The painted wood turtle is terrestrial, inhabiting scrub and moist woodlands on the west coast of North and Central America, extending from Mexico to Costa Rica. Learn more about R. pulcherrima by reading this DigiMorph account by Dr. Heather Jamniczky of the University of Calgary.
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| Canis familiaris, Bulldog | 21-Apr-2008 |  |
| It is thought that the domestic dog originated from the gray wolf (Canis familiaris) because the two share unique allozyme alleles, highly polymorphic satellite alleles, and a nearly identical mitochondrial DNA. The precise timing of domestication is not easy to resolve, but the first record of true domestic dogs occurs in the Middle East and dates to around 12000-14000 years ago. The bulldog derives its name from the purpose for which it was bred -- bullbaiting. Its underbite allowed it to grip the nose of the bull and still be able to breathe, and its wrinkles allowed blood to run down its face and not into its eyes. Learn more about Canis familiaris by reading this DigiMorph account.
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| Neoceratopsian Dinosaur Preserved in an Egg | 07-Apr-2008 |  |
| A paper just published online by Amy Balanoff and collaborators describes the first known embryo of a neoceratopsian dinosaur. Neoceratopsians were perhaps the most widespread Laurasian group of Cretaceous dinosaurs. This specimen was collected from the Late Cretaceous beds of southern Mongolia, which commonly preserve the neoceratopsian Yamaceratops dorngobiensis. Learn more about this important find by reading the new DigiMorph account.
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| Five-notched Sand Dollar, Encope michelini | 24-Mar-2008 |  |
| Sand dollar echinoids first appeared in the Middle Eocene, and were already globally distributed by the end of the Eocene. Their flattened shell is well adapted to near-shore environments with strong bottom currents. Encope is a member of the echinoid clade Clypeasteroida, which is characterized in part by the presence of a jaw apparatus (Aristotle's Lantern) comprising five teeth. Learn more about the five-notched sand dollar by reading this DigiMorph account by Lou Zachos of The University of Texas.
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| Chromis abyssus, Deep Blue Chromis | 11-Mar-2008 |  |
| Chromis abyssus is one of five new species of the damselfish genus Chromis described by Richard Pyle and colleagues in a recent Zootaxa article. These species were discovered in deep coral-reef habitat in the western Pacific, and can easily be distinguished from each other and from other known Chromis by their morphology and coloration. Along with C. abyssus, the holotype of C. degruyi (DeGruy's chromis) was also high-resolution X-ray CT scanned. Learn more about these new species by reading the DigiMorph account.
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| Malaysian Box Turtle, Cuora amboinensis | 25-Feb-2008 |  |
| The Malaysian box turtle is one of six extant species in the lineage Cuora, a member of Geoemydidae within Cryptodira. It inhabits low-elevation, slow-moving bodies of fresh water throughout Southeast Asia, and has a plastral hinge that allows the animal to completely close its shell. Learn more about C. amboinensis by reading this DigiMorph account by Dr. Heather Jamniczky of the University of Calgary.
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