I hinted at another post in last round, and here I deliver. (The “amazeballs” in the title is a running joke with our Xmas guests here in England, but it applies to the subject of these images, too… which will be the subject of a future blog post involving a dissection of the subject!)
This will end the 2014 round of Mystery Anatomy. What 2015 will bring, I am not sure, but here we have 15 images for my 15th mystery CT post and 2015 around the corner.
I do have a new, fun regular anatomy post idea planned for 2015 but I’ll explain that later.
Stomach-Churning Rating: 2/10; digital images; the cadaver is gutted but I am chuffed.
Mystery Anatomy 2014: same rules as before.
Identify (1) the animal shown in the 15 slices, to species level (max. 5 pts), and then the major features (anatomical regions) evident in as many of the 15 slices as you can; details help (max. 5 pts for thoroughness and accuracy).
Difficulty: No scale, sort of. Otherwise, pretty easy.
Answers will come on New Year’s Day, to ease your hangovers (or encourage vomiting).
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Onward!
What's In John's Freezer? 
I’m going to shoot for Varanus komodoensis. The 1st few slices are obliques through the face. There is almost a chin, some replacing teeth and a good section of postorbital, quadrate and jaw joint. Why has the head been cut in half! 😦 (well, it isn’t a midsagittal cut). There is a huge pharyngotympanic tube. The little bits of notochord in the vertebral bodies, shoulder girdle, poorly mineralized ends of limbs (with mineralized epiphyses), and the scaly body suggests lepidosaur. That is one helluva tail with caudofemoralis and neighboring fat bodies. Big feet too.
I couldn’t settle on any hints in your text if there are any. Here’s hoping for a good 2015!
I knew it had to be a croc,
but I couldn’t imagine otherwise,
till I noticed all those bright spots
so I had to rub my eyes!
It’s a lizard, my dear friends,
and a small one to say the least,
but as to what I couldn’t imagine
till I checked the details of the beast.
Scales appear as opaque periphery,
but they do nto seem ossicular;
the limbs are large in comparison,
and very very muscular.
Ribs are sways to the rear
in the trunk of this animal,
look at that shoulder girdle,
it’s very normal! —
for a lizard.
The skull is rather narrow,
but the scan is a bit askew,
it presents an irregular section,
so as to obscure our perfect view.
But what do my eyes see!
The teeth are fairly large,
the skull bones aren’t fused together,
but this animal isn’t a barge.
(I’d expect some flexibility,
some passive kinetic mobility.)
Sadly, I’m not too familiar
with my lacertilian anatomy,
or else I’d drop the bomb
on this lepidosaurian mystery.
You’ve hidden most the hip in these slices,
so I’m left to speculating endlessly,
about the apparent terrestriality
of a varanid most perplexingly.
I cannot but guess to a monstersaurian,
*Varanus* by many a name,
and by its size rather small,
and its skeletal fusion rather game[y].
I am rather fond on the species,
so you will pardon me for guessing,
but should this be exanthematicus,
I hope to receive your blessing!
Scaly, limbed. Lizard or croc. Smallish scales say lizard.
Kinda beefy. Reduces the list of candidates.
Scales may be too big for Tupinambis.
Scales seem awful bright. So I’m going with Heloderma suspectum.
(To say a varanid of some kind (which seems probable) would be too copy-catish).
Not really knowledgeable outside of mammalian anatomy, please judge me gently 🙂
Posture and attachment of humerus to body and jaw bones suggest non-mammal.
Muscular tail and limbs, sternum and pelvis shape suggests reptile. Scaly, pointy radiodense skin with a few ‘extra’ skin folds leads me to some sort of lizzard, perhaps a bearded dragon, Pogona vitticeps?
I agree with the lizard part. I’m not so convinced that it’s Varanous based on the size. What I do notice (that no one else has mentioned) is the subtle indentation over the spine. This (to my inexperienced mind) suggests a wide body. I’m also agreeing with the chunky tale (not the use of fancy anatomy term there). So I’m going to have to say Heloderma horridum.
Did I mention that I’m actually a molecular biologist? Can I get extra points for being completely out of my field?
Answer time!
Well, Casey nailed it a few minutes after I posted. It’s Varanus komodoensis; komodo dragon. A nice adult female that we got from a zoo. More about that when I post on the dissection!
+5+4 = +9 Casey, +2+5=+7 for Jaime, +2+2=+4 for AnJaCo, +2+3=+5 for Brand, and +2+2=+4 for Reno (sorry no bonus points for background but I love it that you are here!!). Small turnout for this round but the timing sucked, I know. I was too excited to hold back on this post for 2015.
Scoreboard is updated and the winner declared– check it out!
https://whatsinjohnsfreezer.com/2014/02/11/scoreboard2014
Happy New Year to all freezerinos– 2015 will bring some changes and more of the usual fun too!
WOOooo! See you at SICB!
It seems to be some sort of lizard. I am guessing the Asian Water Monitor (Varanus salvator).
Pretty close! See my answer in the Comments above.