“Intracascaral space” an eggshell structure of Caiman latirostris eggs

PIAZZA, MILA V.; BELLA, M.; FERNÁNDEZ, M; VILÁ, J.; PIÑA, C. I.; SIMONCINI, M.

Chetumal

Congreso; XXVI Working Meeting Crocodiles Specialist Group - UICN; 2022

Crocodiles Specialist Group - UICN

In the last decades, eggshells of egg from bigreptiles have been studied by many researchers, not just to describe theeggshell (and be able to compare they to old linages that have once inhabit ourplanet), but also to understand how the egg provides to the embryo a specific conditionduring incubation. Previous studies have described and characterized normal andpathologic Caiman latirostriseggshells, we also have evaluated how the eggshell changes during incubation.In a study relating temperature variation and eggshell structures of successfuleggs, we observed empty structures not previously described that we called “intracascaralspace”. Those structures were found nearby the superior part of the porechannel (or vertex), and the external surface of the continuous calcium layer,sometimes in contact (though its superior part) with the crater and pore. Intracascaralspace were found in eggs from five clutches (of two regions -polo and equator-of two eggs from each nest), in both equator and poles region, and were simpleor double (one space over the other). We hypothesized that these space could beweak points, to facilitate pore opening. These spaces are formed from calciumdeposition of female in the egg.