Ossification and development of vertebrae in the Balkan crested newt Triturus ivanbureschi (Salamandridae, Caudata).

Vertebral morphology, development, and evolution have been investigated for many decades, especially in the recent evo-devo era. Nevertheless, comparative data on development and ossification modes within the major tetrapod groups are scarce and frequently suffer from the use of a simplistic approach, resulting in simplistic generalizations about the formation of tetrapod vertebrae. Here, we describe the development and ossification of trunk vertebrae in Triturus ivanbureschi (Salamandridae, Caudata) and compare the results with published data on other related taxa.

Vertebral shape and body elongation in Triturus newts.

Body elongation in vertebrates is often related to a lengthening of the vertebrae and an increase in their number. Changes in the number and shape of vertebrae are not necessarily linked. In tailed amphibians, a change in body shape is mostly associated with an increase in the number of trunk and tail vertebrae.