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Current Biology : CB Mar 2013Most small children can tell you that 'reptiles' are the snakes, lizards, crocodiles, and turtles (perhaps with the dinosaurs thrown in) - suggesting that it's easy to... (Review)
Review
Most small children can tell you that 'reptiles' are the snakes, lizards, crocodiles, and turtles (perhaps with the dinosaurs thrown in) - suggesting that it's easy to tell the difference between reptiles and other animals. Unfortunately, evolutionary biologists struggle with the same task, because phylogenetic analysis tells us loud and clear that these different types of what we loosely call 'reptiles' are not particularly closely related to each other (Figure 1). On the evolutionary tree, some of them (dinosaurs, crocodiles) are much more closely related to birds than to the other animals that we call reptiles. Other reptiles are the descendants of very ancient lineages; for example, turtles separated from the other reptiles, including the now-dominant Squamata (lizards and snakes), at least 200 million years ago. And another 200-million-year-old lineage has left just a single survivor, a lizard-like creature (the tuatara), on a few islands in New Zealand.
Topics: Animals; Biodiversity; Biological Evolution; Conservation of Natural Resources; Reproduction; Reptiles
PubMed: 23518049
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.02.024 -
The Veterinary Clinics of North... Jan 2023Advances in reptile cognitive research would help to (1) better qualify behavioral responses to pain experiences, (2) monitor welfare impacts, and (3) model analgesic... (Review)
Review
Advances in reptile cognitive research would help to (1) better qualify behavioral responses to pain experiences, (2) monitor welfare impacts, and (3) model analgesic studies with ecologically relevant insight to better qualify interventional responses. The focus of future analgesic studies in reptiles require the continued elucidation of the opiate systems and the given variations across taxa in efficacy in nociceptive tests.
Topics: Animals; Pain; Reptiles; Analgesics
PubMed: 36402486
DOI: 10.1016/j.cvex.2022.09.004 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2019Reptiles are a rare model object for space research. However, some reptile species demonstrate effective adaptation to spaceflight conditions. The main scope of this... (Review)
Review
Reptiles are a rare model object for space research. However, some reptile species demonstrate effective adaptation to spaceflight conditions. The main scope of this review is a comparative analysis of reptile experimental exposure in weightlessness, demonstrating the advantages and shortcomings of this model. The description of the known reptile experiments using turtles and geckos in the space and parabolic flight experiments is provided. Behavior, skeletal bones (morphology, histology, and X-ray microtomography), internal organs, and the nervous system (morphology, histology, and immunohistochemistry) are studied in the spaceflight experiments to date, while molecular and physiological results are restricted. Therefore, the results are discussed in the scope of molecular data collected from mammalian (mainly rodents) specimens and cell cultures in the parabolic and orbital flights and simulated microgravity. The published data are compared with the results of the gecko model studies after the 12-44.5-day spaceflights with special reference to the unique peculiarities of the gecko model for the orbital experiments. The complex study of thick-toed geckos after three spaceflights, in which all geckos survived and demonstrated effective adaptation to spaceflight conditions, was performed. However, future investigations are needed to study molecular mechanisms of gecko adaptation in space.
Topics: Adaptation, Physiological; Animals; Bone and Bones; Brain; Lizards; Reptiles; Space Flight; Turtles; Weightlessness Simulation
PubMed: 31226840
DOI: 10.3390/ijms20123019 -
PloS One 2011
Review
Topics: Animals; Fossils; Oceans and Seas; Phylogeny; Reptiles
PubMed: 22087300
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027373 -
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in... May 2020A chambered heart is common to all vertebrates, but reptiles show unparalleled variation in ventricular septation, ranging from almost absent in tuataras to full in... (Review)
Review
A chambered heart is common to all vertebrates, but reptiles show unparalleled variation in ventricular septation, ranging from almost absent in tuataras to full in crocodilians. Because mammals and birds evolved independently from reptile lineages, studies on reptile development may yield insight into the evolution and development of the full ventricular septum. Compared with reptiles, mammals and birds have evolved several other adaptations, including compact chamber walls and a specialized conduction system. These adaptations appear to have evolved from precursor structures that can be studied in present-day reptiles. The increase in the number of studies on reptile heart development has been greatly facilitated by sequencing of several genomes and the availability of good staging systems. Here, we place reptiles in their phylogenetic context with a focus on features that are primitive when compared with the homologous features of mammals. Further, an outline of major developmental events is given, and variation between reptile species is discussed.
Topics: Alligators and Crocodiles; Animals; Biological Evolution; Birds; Disease Models, Animal; Electrophysiology; Genome; Heart; Humans; Mammals; Mice; Models, Biological; Myocytes, Cardiac; Organogenesis; Phylogeny; Reptiles
PubMed: 31712265
DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a037226 -
Trends in Parasitology Aug 2020Reptiles are reservoirs of a wide range of pathogens, including many protozoa, helminths, pentastomids, and arthropod parasitic species, some of which may be of public... (Review)
Review
Reptiles are reservoirs of a wide range of pathogens, including many protozoa, helminths, pentastomids, and arthropod parasitic species, some of which may be of public health concern. In this review we discuss the zoonotic risks associated with human-reptile interactions. Increased urbanization and introduction of exotic species of reptile may act as drivers for the transmission of zoonotic parasites through the environment. In addition, being a part of human diet, reptiles can be a source of life-threatening parasitoses, such as pentastomiasis or sparganosis. Finally, reptiles kept as pets may represent a risk to owners given the possibility of parasites transmitted by direct contact or fecal contamination. Awareness of reptile-borne zoonotic parasitoses is important to advocate control, prevention, and surveillance of these neglected diseases.
Topics: Animals; Food Parasitology; Humans; Parasites; Parasitic Diseases; Pets; Reptiles; Zoonoses
PubMed: 32448703
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.04.014 -
The Veterinary Clinics of North... Jan 2019In this article, ocular examination techniques are reviewed in the context of the reptilian patient. Subsequently, ocular surface anatomy and diseases are discussed.... (Review)
Review
In this article, ocular examination techniques are reviewed in the context of the reptilian patient. Subsequently, ocular surface anatomy and diseases are discussed. Sections for 4 of the 5 Reptilia orders are included: lizards, chelonians, crocodilians, and snakes. Literature pertaining to both wild and captive animals is included.
Topics: Animals; Conjunctivitis; Cornea; Corneal Diseases; Corneal Injuries; Lizards; Reptiles; Snakes
PubMed: 30454758
DOI: 10.1016/j.cvex.2018.08.006 -
Viruses Nov 2011A large number of viruses have been described in many different reptiles. These viruses include arboviruses that primarily infect mammals or birds as well as viruses... (Review)
Review
A large number of viruses have been described in many different reptiles. These viruses include arboviruses that primarily infect mammals or birds as well as viruses that are specific for reptiles. Interest in arboviruses infecting reptiles has mainly focused on the role reptiles may play in the epidemiology of these viruses, especially over winter. Interest in reptile specific viruses has concentrated on both their importance for reptile medicine as well as virus taxonomy and evolution. The impact of many viral infections on reptile health is not known. Koch's postulates have only been fulfilled for a limited number of reptilian viruses. As diagnostic testing becomes more sensitive, multiple infections with various viruses and other infectious agents are also being detected. In most cases the interactions between these different agents are not known. This review provides an update on viruses described in reptiles, the animal species in which they have been detected, and what is known about their taxonomic positions.
Topics: Animals; Reptiles; Virus Diseases; Virus Physiological Phenomena; Viruses
PubMed: 22163336
DOI: 10.3390/v3112087 -
The Veterinary Record Jun 2022Georgina Mills reports on new research that assessed the risk of extinction for more than 10,000 reptile species.
Georgina Mills reports on new research that assessed the risk of extinction for more than 10,000 reptile species.
Topics: Animals; Reptiles
PubMed: 35657221
DOI: 10.1002/vetr.1862 -
The Veterinary Clinics of North... Jan 2018Reptiles have the anatomic and physiologic structures needed to detect and perceive pain. Reptiles are capable of demonstrating painful behaviors. Most of the available... (Review)
Review
Reptiles have the anatomic and physiologic structures needed to detect and perceive pain. Reptiles are capable of demonstrating painful behaviors. Most of the available literature indicates pure μ-opioid receptor agonists are best to provide analgesia in reptiles. Multimodal analgesia should be practiced with every reptile patient when pain is anticipated. Further research is needed using different pain models to evaluate analgesic efficacy across reptile orders.
Topics: Analgesia; Animals; Pain; Pain Management; Receptors, Opioid, mu; Reptiles
PubMed: 29146025
DOI: 10.1016/j.cvex.2017.08.001