Turtle Shell Evolution (IMAGE)

SMBE Journals (Molecular Biology and Evolution and Genome Biology and Evolution)

Turtle Shell Evolution

Caption

The results of this study suggest that the unique skin morphology of the turtle shell evolved by adaptations of genes located in the Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC), a gene cluster that is present in all fully terrestrial tetrapods and also contributes to the defense functions of human skin.

Credit

Leopold Eckhart, Medical University of Vienna

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