An Anatomical Study Of18Kinds Of Turtle Skull

The Chelonia of the fossil turtles first appeared about200million years ago. Thekinds of turtles are only15families,96genera, and317-331species in the wholeworld. There are6families,22genera and36species in China. Morphological studyis the basis of turtle taxonomy, and is the main contents of turtles system before therise of molecular systematics. By the mid first Century, with the development ofchromosome preparation technique, some taxonomic and systematic discussion ofturtles were studied on the karyotype of the problem. At present, the research onclassification and system about the turtles are mainly concentrated in the areaof molecular systems.For a long time, there have been different opinions on the classification of turtles.Some controversial problems still exist in the classification and phylogenesis ofturtles. For an instance, ambiguous classification between genus Cuora and genusCistoclemmys. Some scholars think that Cuora should be split into two genera whilesome argue that the Cuora flavomarginata and Cuora galbinifrons are moreappropriately put into Cuora. And others propose to abolish the originalCistoclemmys and Pyxidea. Therefore, the classification of terrapin still needs furtherresearches.This research are on6families,15genera and18turtle class, observing andanalyzing the anatomy of the skeletal system, discussing the phylogeny andclassification problem on application of cladistics, and verifying the developmentresults from morphological characteristics of molecular system. To solve theCuora, Cistoclemmys and Pyxidea exists in the relation classification and systemproblems. At the same time， comparatived the bone of foreign species in Testudinids,Emydidae, Pelomedusidae, Chelidae and Kinosternidae Kone.The results showed that there were smaller different between the turtle,Trachemys and Indochinese box penis of bone system, and lager different betweenTrachemys, Cuora galbinifrons and turtle, Cuora Ambon Cuora; Mud box turtle Cuoradifferences and Ambro Cuora skeletal system is very large, so do not recommendTrachemys, Cuora galbinifrons and mud turtle in cuora. Testudinidae turtles evolvedlargest orbital in order to adapt to life on land. Geoemydidae, Emydidae and Kinosternidae turtles has a smaller orbital. Kinosternidae turtles evolved developedmaxilla to feeding adaptation. Pelomedusidae and Chelidae turtles has the smallestorbital.