Ossification Variability in the Cranial Skeleton of Lissotriton vulgaris (L.) (Caudata) from Urbanization Areas

Abstract

This paper considers the influence of environmental conditions on the specificity of the process of ossification of the skull of yearlings of common newt Lissotriton vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758), depending on the degree of urbanization. It is found that the degree of sagittal suture closure in the cranial skeleton of yearlings depends on the level of mineralization of surface waters in which the common newt develops. The accumulating nature of urban ecosystems promotes the intensification of the mineral metabolism of juveniles due to the abundance of calciphilous animals in newt habitats and their dominance in the diet of newt yearlings. This contributing factor accelerates the formation of cranial ossifications in animals from the residential part of urban agglomeration.