Reptilian echocardiography: insights into ontogeny and phylogeny?
We describe the echocardiographic findings in a large reptile-the carpet python. If ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny, the study of reptilian hearts may provide insights into human cardiac development. In addition, the reptilian heart has unique structural and physiological adaptations that may broaden our perspective on evolutionary cardiac adaptation.
Sklansky
M S
MS
Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, 200 West Arbor Drive - 8445, San Diego, California 92103-8445, USA. msklansky@ucsd.edu
Levy
D J
DJ
Elias
W T
WT
Morris
P
P
Grossfeld
P D
PD
Kashani
I A
IA
Shaughnessy
R D
RD
Rothman
A
A
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D017821:Boidae / Q000502:physiology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny