Adaptation of the vertebral inner structure to an aquatic life in snakes: Pachyophiid peculiarities in comparison to extant and extinct forms

Bone microanatomy appears strongly linked with the ecology of organisms. In amniotes, bone mass increase is a microanatomical specialization often encountered in aquatic taxa performing long dives at shallow depths. Although previous work highlighted the rather generalist inner structure of the vertebrae in snakes utilising different habitats, microanatomical specializations may be expected in aquatic snakes specialised for a single environment....