Embryonic development of Squamata (Lepidosauria) and its implications for our understanding of snakes phylogenetic affinities

• Grant number: 25/05579-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Morphology of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Hussam El Dine Zaher
• Grantee: Carlos Augusto Trusz
• Host Institution: Museu de Zoologia (MZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Comparative anatomy has experienced a resurgence in evolutionary developmental biology in recent decades, driven by technological advancements that have reintegrated traditional morphology into modern scientific research. Recent studies have focused on developmental variation in vertebrates, with increasing attention given to squamates. Both lizards and snakes exhibit remarkable morphological diversity, making excellent models for studying major body plan transformations, such as limb reduction and skull skeletogenesis- key evolutionary innovations among vertebrates. Comparative studies of squamates embryonic development are expected to provide essential insights into these evolutionary changes. Although significant research has been conducted on the embryonic development of specific squamate taxa, a broader comparative analysis encompassing squamates as a whole, and snakes in particular, is still lacking. This project aims to fill that gap by analyzing the development of bony and cartilaginous elements across a comprehensive sample of squamate lineages, with a special focus on snakes and understudied groups. By linking developmental changes to their evolutionary histories, the study seeks to advance our understanding of squamate phylogenetic relationships and reveal the underlying developmental changes that shaped morphological novelties in snakes. (AU)