User:Brownkr/sandbox

inserting bold text

Week 2

Group Assignment Wk. 2: Lamprey Observation and discussion found User:77lemonpie/sandbox

Individual Assignment Wk. 2: Lamprey Biology section: Is the information relevant?The length and amount of information on the blood sucking ancestors and species is too much and distracting from the rest of the information. There are other parts of the article, for example the last 4 paragraphs, that seem to be random facts and a little disorganized. I think the organization would be better if the anatomy was talked about first and then the phylogeny. Also, the picture of the Lamprey at the beginning of the section is good, but there is a word blank white space left. Citations Need more citations in 3rd paragraph to support where Lampreys fall in phylogenetic tree. LA Times is cited as a source, which is not scholarly or a reviewed source. This means that paragraph 5 should be removed. There are many spots where sources are needed, but are not present. For example, the 2nd paragraph doesn't cite the information about the pharynx. Also, when talking about the immune system, there is no background information or sources cited. Citation number 24 only has the title of the article and no author or date, it is also an article from a news source and not scholarly. All sources are from the 2000's so sources are up to date. Biases The article has a fairly neutral perspective, only including facts for the most part. However, some facts are not cited so it is undetermined if they are true or are creating biases about Lampreys. Some facts may include biases or inaccurate facts due to using information from news articles. Plagiarism The paragraph about "giant" lamprey seems to closely resemble a sentence in the article. When checking other sources and for plagiarism everything else looks good. Missing information In class we talked about lamprey being in the chordate phylum and the 5 synapomorphies that chordates include. This information would be useful to add, especially in the biology section. When talking about different parts of lampreys the notochord is mentioned, however there is no elaboration on what a notochord is or its function. The lifecycle section talks about larva stages in comparison to the adult stages, but having a brief description of these differences in the biology section would be a good lead into the lifestyle section. Talk Page On the article's talk page it was rated as a level-4 (importance) article and class B (quality level). The article was added to the Wikipedia:WikiProject Food and drink, but then removed. It is on the Wikipedia:WikiProject Fishes, however.

Brownkr (talk) 19:36, 26 February 2021 (UTC)

Week 3

Group discussion: Plagiarism ·Blog posts and press releases are considered poor sources because they include opinions and biases. Also, information is not cited usually and is based off a single person's ideas. ·You may not want to use a company's website as a main source about that company because they will be biased about themselves and will not present all sides of the company. They want to make themself look good. ·Copyright violation vs. plagiarism is copyright is taking someone else's work without permission, whereas plagiarism is taking someone else's work and claiming it as your own. ·Good techniques to avoid close paraphrasing and plagiarism include taking notes on an article in your own words in your sandbox and then edit the article from your notes, not by reading the article, making sure that the sentence structure is not the same as the sources, as well as not just finding synonyms of words. Brownkr (talk) 19:04, 2 March 2021 (UTC)·After discussing with my group I had a better understanding that copyrighting is using someone's work without permission, whereas plagiarism is claiming someone's work as your own. Before our talk I was a little confused about this. I also learned about a good strategy to avoid plagiarism is doing a lot of research on the topic and making sure you clearly understand the topic because if you do it will be easier to say things in your own words.

Individual Assignment: Lamprey

Adults superficially resemble eels in that they have scaleless, elongated bodies, and can range from 13 to 100 cm (5 to 40 inches) in length. Lacking paired fins, adult lampreys have large eyes, one nostril on the top of the head, and seven gill pores on each side of the head.

Edited: Adult Lampreys have elongated, scaleless bodies that closely resemble an eel. They grow to become between 15 to 100 cm (6 to 40 in.) long, have an eye on either side of their head, one nostril on top of the head, seven gills slits posterior to both eyes, one or two dorsal fins, and a tail fin. Lampreys lack both a jaw and paired fins.

Edits Made:

• Found a source containing the information in the first paragraph because it was not cited
• Reworded and put the information in my own words because the original paragraph closely resembles the sentences in the Britannica source
• Cited the source I used

Feedback: Discussion and Adding to an Article

• Your notes about the discussion are very good and I especially like that you went back and annotated what you learned after conversation after. AND signed it!
• One thing that will become more apparent is the difference in considerations when we want to contribute video or images to Wikipedia. A future assignment will touch on this but it takes some planning.
• This is all very well organized. It is easy to read and allows me to follow not only your thinking but also the changes that you propose because I know what was there before and the change you intend to make.
• I know adding citations is hard. It is true that you will probably have to start adding from scratch once you make an edit in an actual article because copy-paste brings along errors half of the time. However, practicing in the sandbox is HUGELY useful.
• I really like these proposed edits and encourage you to propose them in the talk page. Maybe even do them.

Osquaesitor (talk) 18:13, 12 March 2021 (UTC)

Week 4

Individual Assignment: top 3 articles to edit

1. Shark anatomy

I chose shark anatomy as a page to edit because I am intrigued with many specific anatomical characteristic such as how they are cartilaginous, have many rows of teeth, and their very keen sense of smell.

A few edits that could be made on this page include adding to certain sections, as there is a good start but not much information. For example, the teeth, internal organs, muscles, and integument sections are all only a few sentences. By finding more sources and giving more details, this page will be a more succinct page on sark anatomy. In addition to adding to sections, another edit that I feel would be useful is deciphering between general shark anatomy and then get into the anatomy of different kinds of shark. There are also a few citations that are needed as well as links that need to be fixed.

Links that could be helpful and potential pages to edit as well are: Chondrichthyes, great white shark, and bony fish.

2. Lamprey

Lamprey is the next page I chose because I am interested in their lifecycle and how the larva differ from adults, as well as how they are great models of the five characteristics of chordates.

As far as edits go, I would fix the words that are in red that say "page no longer exists". I would also help to organize the information about carnivorous and non-carnivorous species because the information is hard to follow. Another edit that could be done is making sure all information is cited and add citations where needed.

Wikipedia pages and links that could be helpful and also edited include: Agnatha, notochord, and vertebrates.

3. Turtle

My third wikipedia page choice is Turtle due to the vast differences in size and environments that they live in, as well as their shell anatomy.

Edits I would make to this page include adding citations in places that say "citation needed" or "better source needed", and better organize the sections. I think there is a lot of information under the "ecology" section that could be included in "reproduction" and maybe even added to a new section. Then under the "ecology" section, I would like to include more information about their relationship in the ecosystem, with other animals, as well as amongst themselves.

Additional wikipedia pages that I would link and potentially edit include: amniotes, tortoise, and reptiles.

Week 5

Herpetology group sandbox: User:Abbieloring/sandbox.group.herpetologist

My article: Turtle

1. Edits to be made:

General edits: add citations, anatomy section- begin with basic anatomy of most (or all turtles) instead of talking about size of one specific species, ecology section designated to mainly relationship with ecosystem and other animals, elaborate on reproduction, temperature dependent differentiation, add an extant and extinct section

Specific:

Senses section: At least some turtles species can see color and different species prefer different colours. Indeed, the males of some species such as the painted terrapin change colour during breeding season which is thought to help individuals find a suitable mate.^{[better source needed]}

• To edit this I would leave out the part about males changing color for breeding. This information belongs better in the mating and reproduction section
• This senses section should be redone in order to encompass all the senses and not include information that doesn't belong in this section like the information on color and mating.
• The information about pursuit movement needs to be better introduced and elaborate how that contributes to moving head quickly.

Intelligence section: Case studies exist of turtles playing.^{[better source needed]}

• This sentence does not add to the section or provide the reader with helpful information, so I suggest that it be removed

Anatomy and morphology section:

• Instead of having paragraphs about sizes of different species; I suggest an opening paragraph like the one below.
• Turtle anatomy is comprised of both an internal and external skeleton. The external skeleton is comprised of a bony shell, which serves as protection. The Internal skeleton makes up structures such as the flippers, and facilitates the anchoring of muscles.

2. Articles:

Wikipedia: retiles, amniotes,

Sources:

• https://turtletime.org/sea-turtles/anatomy/
• https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=9H_LBQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA79&dq=turtles+vision&ots=meVCJPdxJg&sig=Z8pVDi9wYnOFvKHqlDdT2yXFrf0#v=onepage&q&f=false
• https://www.constantinealexander.net/2014/week33/
• http://nsmn1.uh.edu/frankino/assets/docs/galapago/reading/kricher/kricher_tortoise.pdf
• https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article/92/2/206/2187276
• https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Claudio-Campagna-2/publication/258158765_A_jellyfish_diet_for_the_herbivorous_green_turtle_Chelonia_mydas_in_the_temperate_SW_Atlantic/links/5746ed8108aea45ee858262c/A-jellyfish-diet-for-the-herbivorous-green-turtle-Chelonia-mydas-in-the-temperate-SW-Atlantic.pdf

3. Images/media:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Week 6: 1st draft

Found almost entire section to be plagiarized. I worked to put things into my own words and find sources to cite.

Anatomy and morphology

Turtle anatomy includes both an internal and external skeleton. The external skeleton is comprised of a bony shell, which serves as protection. The Internal skeleton makes up structures such as the flippers, and facilitates the anchoring of muscles. There are two main subgroups of turtles, Pleurodira and Cryptodires, which are mainly differentiated base on neck retraction. However, these two groups also show differences in the anatomy of the head.

Head

The size and shape of turtle's heads differ between the subgroups, Pleurodira and Cryptodires. It is noted that Pleurodira present a more flat and broadened skull. However, the same bony structure makes up both subgroup's skulls.

Turtles appear to have lost their teeth about 150–200 million years ago. So instead of having teeth, turtles use their rigid beak-like mouth, jaws, and horny ridges on their upper and lower jaws to tear and chew food. Turtles with a more carnivorous diet typically have knife-sharp ridges, whereas herbivorous turtles have serrated-edged ridges. Their tongues are used to help swallow their food, however are not able to be outstretched.

As for the positioning of eyes on the head of turtles, the environment and lifestyle in which they live play a role. Turtles that spend most of their lives on land typically have eyes that allow the turtle to look down at what is in front of them. Aquatic turtle that submerge their entire body except the top of their head to look out for predators, like snapping turtles, have eyes towards the top of their head.

Neck retraction

Neck retraction

Pleurodires retract their neck sideways

Cryptodires retract their neck backwards

The mechanism of which a turtle retracts its neck differentiates it into one of the two subgroups, Pleurodira or Cryptodire. Pleurodira retracts laterally to the side, anterior to shoulder girdles, while the suborder Cryptodira retracts straight back, between shoulder girdles. These motions are largely due to the morphology and arrangement of cervical vertebrae. In recent turtles, the cervical column consists of nine joints and eight independent vertebrae. Since these vertebrae are not fused and are rounded, the neck is more flexible, bending in the backwards and sideways directions. The primary function and evolutionary implication of neck retraction is thought to be for feeding rather than protection. Neck retraction and reciprocal extension allow the turtle to reach out further to capture prey while swimming. Neck expansion creates suction when the head is thrust forward and the oropharynx is expanded. This morphology suggests the retraction function is for feeding purposes, as the suction helps catch prey. It has been hypothesized that neck retraction may have evolved for protective purposes when the head is back in the shell, however this is not the main function and rather an exaptation. Both Pleurodirans and Cryptodirans use the quick extension of the neck as a method of predation, so the difference in retraction mechanism is not due to a difference in ecological niche.

Cryptodire cervical vertebrae seen ventrally. The vertebrae have an S-shaped curve to allow for neck retraction into the shell.

Shell

Main article: Turtle shell

The top, or dorsal portion of the shell is called the carapace and the bottom, or ventral part of the shell is the plastron. Bony structures called bridges connect the carapace and plastron together. The shell inside differs from the outside. Inside the shell is composed of many bones including ribs and vertebras, whereas the outside is composed of scutes. Scutes are a part of the epidermis, are similar in structure to scales of other reptiles, and are made of keratin.

The shell has many functions which include protection from predators, a home, fat and calcium storage, as well as a pH buffer. Each unique species may have a specific function or slightly different anatomy based on its lifestyle and environment.

Aquatic based turtles have a lighter shell than turtles that live primarily on land, tortoises, in order to float and swim faster. On the other hand, tortoises that live mainly on land have thick, heavy shells in order to prevent predators from eating or crushing them.

Respiration

Respiration, for many amniotes, is achieved by the contraction and relaxation of specific muscle groups (i.e. intercostals, abdominal muscles, and/or a diaphragm) attached to an internal rib-cage that can expand or contract the body wall thus assisting airflow in and out of the lungs. The ribs of Testudines, however, are fused with their carapace and external to their pelvic and pectoral girdles, a feature unique among turtles. This rigid shell is not capable of expansion. With their immobile rib-cage, Testudines have had to evolve special adaptations for respiration. Turtle pulmonary ventilation occurs by using specific groups of abdominal muscles attached to their viscera and shell that pull the lungs ventrally during inspiration, where air is drawn in via a negative pressure gradient (Boyle's Law). In expiration, the contraction of the transversus abdominis is the driving force by propelling the viscera into the lungs and expelling air under positive pressure. Conversely, the relaxing and flattening of the oblique abdominis muscle pulls the transversus back down which, once again, draws air back into the lungs. Important auxiliary muscles used for ventilatory processes are the pectoralis, which is used in conjunction with the transverse abdominis during inspiration, and the serratus, which moves with the abdominal oblique accompanying expiration.

The lungs of Testudines are multi-chambered and attached their entire length down the carapace. The number of chambers can vary between taxa, though most commonly they have three lateral chambers, three medial chambers, and one terminal chamber. As previously mentioned, the act of specific abdominal muscles pulling down the viscera (or pushing back up) is what allows for respiration in turtles. Specifically, it is the turtles large liver that pulls or pushes on the lungs. Ventral to the lungs, in the coelomic cavity, the liver of turtles is attached directly to the right lung, and their stomach is directly attached to the left lung by the ventral mesopneumonium, which is attached to their liver by the ventral mesentery. When the liver is pulled down, inspiration begins. Supporting the lungs is the post-pulmonary septum, which is found in all Testudines, and is thought to prevent the lungs from collapsing.

Skin and molting

Turtles are covered in scales, however the scales on the shell differ from those on the rest of the body. The shell is made of scutes, in which each individual scute corresponds to a modified scale. The rest of the body is covered in smaller scales, similar to other reptile's scales, which are made of keratin. Molting in turtles does not occur like it does in snakes, all at one, but rather in flakes. Dead skin falls off in sheets, rather than molting as one large layer.

Limbs

Skeleton of snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

The anatomy of the limbs and feet are a distinguishing factor between aquatic turtles and terrestrial tortoises. The differences are due to the distinct functions of the limbs, swimming in aquatic turtles and supports and walking for terrestrial turtles.

Tortoises have two fewer phalanges on each of their feet, do not have webbed hind feet, their hind limbs are made of elephantine, and wrist mobility is less than that of aquatic turtles.

Aquatic turtles have flippers, in which they use their front ones to propel them through the water and hind flippers for steering.

Week 8

Peer review 1:

Cat anatomy- User:Ashleypress0511/Mydrafts this is from the user user:Ashleypress0511

General:

• The content is written in a neutral voice, good job.
• reliable sources
• The draft is easy to follow for the most part, but I would make sure the heading is above each section you are drafting so it is easy to know where to find this section in the article.
• I like how each person's name is above their section so it is easy to follow who is editing which part
• I would suggest to plan more images that you could add to this article
• This is a good start to edits, is there any information that could be added in addition to what is already written?

Abdominal Muscles:

Group draft: "the muscle is located in the lumbodorsal fascia and ribs and main function is the abdominal compression. This muscle also laterally flexes and rotation of the vertebral column."

Suggestions: These sentences are a bit wordy, and I would suggest defining what "The muscle is". Do you mean the abdominal muscle? Also is the muscle located in the lumbodorsal fascia and ribs, or does it originate from them both? If so maybe try rewording like the following: "The abdominal muscle originates from the lumbodorsal fascia and the ribs. The main function of the muscle is abdominal compression, but it also laterally flexes and causes rotation of the vertebral column."

Group draft: "Innermost muscle in the abdomen and origin is the second sheet of the lumbodorsal fascia. The function is abdominal compression demonstrated in the transverse abdominals."

Suggestions: By starting with "Innermost muscle..." this sentence seems incomplete. Maybe start with the name of the muscle. In the second sentence, it might flow better if you add, "abdominal compression, which is demonstrated in...".

Deltoid:

Suggestions: The condensation of the information is good, only saw a few grammatical fixes. In the sentence, "Acromiodeltoid is the shortest deltoid muscle and inserted at the deltoid ridge and allows raising and rotating the humerus when contracted." I would suggest splitting it into two sentences and inserting a few words like the following. "Acromoideltoid is the shortest deltoid muscle and inserts at the deltoid ridge. It allows raising and rotating of the humerus when contracted."

Following sections:

I like your suggestions for the following sections and will be good for future edits.

Introduction (Cyah):

For the citations, I think if you copy and past the original text from the wikipedia page the citations will also copy over. If not maybe copy the link from the original citation and then when you hit "citation" in the sandbox copy the link in.

Group draft: "Although cats share many common anatomical features with humans, as well as many other mammals, they are natural predators, hunters, and they have many specialized attributes, such as their jaws, skulls, mouths, and digestive system (original page source19 & 20). Although they do share many characteristics with other carnivorous mammals, their protractible claws, digitigrades, directional hearing  (original page source 1), and communication through odors, using their ultra sensitive noses  (original page source 3 & 4), help them when it comes to finding food the ideal food in their habitat. Although there are numerous different species of cats, much of their anatomy can be amongst all of them."

Suggestions: I would suggest rewording a few sentences like the following: "... with humans and other mammals...". As well as an edit to the next sentence like: "Cats share many... such as their protractible... and communication through odors." I would get rid of the part or make a new sentence about the ultra sensitive odors and helping it find food because it is hard to tell if you are saying they share this sense or if it differs from other carnivorous mammals. Finally in the last sentence just add the word "found" reading "much of their anatomy can be found amongst all of them."

Legs:

Group edit: "...walk on their toes just like dogs and birds that are able to walk."

Suggestion: I would take out the "that are able to walk" portion, as it makes the sentence a little wordy and feel it is unnecessary.

Mouth:

This section looks good and that is odd that the number for papillae is contradicting. I would just do more research and trust the most reliable source.

Peer review 2:

Ornothologists- User:77lemonpie/OrnothologistsL01 sandbox found in the sandbox of user:77lemonpie

General:

• The organization of your sandbox is good and very easy to follow
• I like the use of pictures that each person has in their section
• The beginning plan of where your edits are headed is good, maybe you could list more picture options and specific edits for each section
• The split up of the work is even and clear; I really like how you divided between axial and appendicular skeleton

Vertebral column:

This section is clear, unbiased, and seems to have little to no mistakes. Is the section going to stay as a bulleted list? If so, a suggestion I would have is to organize the picture to the right so that when the text wraps it is easier to follow. Also, I suggest the following minor edit:

Group edit: "The chest consists of the furcula (wishbone) and coracoid (collar bone) which, together with the scapula, form the pectoral girdle; the side of the chest is formed by the ribs, which meet at the sternum (mid-line of the chest)."

Suggestion: instead of the semicolon, I think making this sentence into two sentences would help the flow.

Syrinx:

I think this addition is good for the communication section. For general edits, I would think about another word then "better", as it was used many time throughout the paragraph and kind of seems like a bias word, even though I understand what you are trying to say. Maybe something like "... output of sound through the syrinx is louder." would be a good edit to the section.

Group edit: "In shorter trachea, the difference in loudness between a syrinx and larynx isn't much, but a longer trachea with a syrinx created louder sounds than a larynx"

Suggestion: A less wordy and easier flow to this sentence could go like: "Shorter trachea do not have much of a difference between the loudness of the syrinx and larynx, but with longer trachea the syrinx produce much louder sounds than the larynx."

Week 9

Peer review responses:

• Make a clear distinction between the original text and my edits
• Add a picture neck retraction mechanism and maybe the turtle skeleton
• Fix the grammatical errors that my peers found
• Check my citations and make sure they are peer-reviewed
• Add more information about cryptodires in the introduction
• link to dorsal page and get rid of explanation

Week 11

Cryptodire cervical vertebrae seen ventrally. The vertebrae have an S-shaped curve to allow for neck retraction into the shell.

These two pictures are extras that I thought I might use, but didn't. I wanted to keep them in my sandbox incase I felt I needed them at a later date.

Anatomy and morphology

Turtle anatomy includes both an internal and external skeleton. The external skeleton is comprised of a bony shell which serves as protection. The Internal skeleton makes up structures such as the flippers, and facilitates the anchoring of muscles. There are two main suborders of turtles, Pleurodira and Cryptodires, which are mainly differentiated based on their neck retraction method. These two groups also show slight differences in the anatomy of the head.

Head

The size and shape of turtle's heads differ between the suborder, Pleurodira and Cryptodires, but they are made up of the same bony structures. The anatomical differences are attributed to a difference in the bones that the jaw musculature associates with. The adductor muscles in the lower jaw create a pulley-like system in both subgroups; however the bone in which the muscles articulate with differ. In Pleurodira, the pulley is formed with the pterygoid bones, but in Cryptodires the pulley is formed with the quadrate bones. Both of these systems help to vertically redirect the adductor muscles in order to create a powerful bite.

Turtles appear to have lost their teeth about 150–200 million years ago. So instead of having teeth, turtles use their rigid beak-like mouth, jaws, and horny ridges on their upper and lower jaws to tear and chew food. Turtles with a more carnivorous diet typically have knife-sharp ridges, whereas herbivorous turtles have serrated-edged ridges. Turtles also use their tongues to aid in swallowing.

The positioning of turtle's eyes on their head depends largely on their environment and lifestyle. Turtles that spend most of their life on land typically have eyes positioned in the middle of the head on either side to allow the turtle to look down at what is in front of them. Aquatic turtles that emerge only the top of their head from the water to look out for predators, like snapping turtles, have eyes towards the top of their head.

Neck retraction

Neck retraction

Pleurodires retract their neck sideways

Cryptodires retract their neck backwards

Cryptodire ventral view of S-shaped cervical vertebrae

The way a turtle retracts its neck into it's shell differentiates it into one of the two suborders, Pleurodira or Cryptodire. Pleurodira retract their neck laterally to the side and anterior to shoulder girdles. However, the suborder Cryptodira retracts their neck back into their shell by bending their neck in an S-like shape. These motions are largely due to the morphology and arrangement of cervical vertebrae. The cervical column consists of nine joints and eight independent vertebrae. These vertebrae are round and not fused, making the neck more flexible and allowing it to bend backwards and sideways. The primary function and evolutionary implication of neck retraction is thought to be for feeding rather than protection. Neck retraction and extension allow the turtle to reach out further to capture prey while swimming. Neck extension creates suction when the head is thrust forward and the oropharynx is expanded. This morphology suggests the retraction function is for feeding purposes, as the suction helps catch prey.

Skeleton of snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

Shell

Main article: Turtle shell

The top, or dorsal portion of the shell is called the carapace and the bottom, or ventral part of the shell is the plastron. Bony structures called bridges connect the carapace and plastron together. The inside of the shell is composed of many bones including ribs and vertebrae, whereas the outside is composed of scutes. Scutes are a keratinized part of the epidermis and are similar in structure to scales of other reptiles.

The shell has many functions which include protection from predators, a home, fat and calcium storage, as well as a pH buffer. Each unique species may have a specific function or slightly different anatomy based on its lifestyle and environment.

Aquatic turtles have a lighter shell than turtles that live primarily on land in order to float and swim faster. On the other hand, tortoises have thick, heavy shells in order to prevent predators from eating or crushing them.

Respiration

Respiration for many amniotes, is achieved by the contraction and relaxation of specific muscle groups (i.e. intercostals, abdominal muscles, and/or a diaphragm) attached to an internal rib-cage that can expand or contract the body wall thus assisting airflow in and out of the lungs. The ribs of Testudines, however, are fused with their carapace and external to their pelvic and pectoral girdles, a feature unique among turtles. Their rigid shell is not capable of expansion, so Testudines have had to evolve special adaptations for respiration. Turtle pulmonary ventilation occurs by using specific groups of abdominal muscles attached to their viscera and shell that pull the lungs ventrally during inspiration, where air is drawn in via a negative pressure gradient (Boyle's Law). In expiration, the contraction of the transversus abdominis is the driving force by propelling the viscera into the lungs and expelling air under positive pressure. Conversely, the relaxing and flattening of the oblique abdominis muscle pulls the transversus back down, which again draws air back into the lungs. Important auxiliary muscles used for ventilatory processes are the pectoralis, which is used in conjunction with the transverse abdominis during inspiration, and the serratus, which moves with the abdominal oblique accompanying expiration.

The lungs of Testudines are multi-chambered and attach the entire length down the carapace. The number of chambers can vary between taxa, though most commonly they have three lateral chambers, three medial chambers, and one terminal chamber. As previously mentioned, the act of specific abdominal muscles pulling down the viscera (or pushing back up) is what allows for respiration in turtles. Specifically, it is the turtles large liver that pulls or pushes on the lungs. Ventral to the lungs, in the coelomic cavity, the liver of turtles is attached directly to the right lung, and their stomach is directly attached to the left lung by the ventral mesopneumonium, which is attached to their liver by the ventral mesentery. When the liver is pulled down, inspiration begins. Supporting the lungs is the post-pulmonary septum, which is found in all Testudines, and is thought to prevent the lungs from collapsing.

Close up of a Green Sea Turtle's (Chelonia mynas), skin and shell scales

Skin and molting

Turtles are covered in scales, however the scales on the shell differ from those on the rest of the body. The shell is made of scutes, but the rest of the body is covered in smaller keratinized scales. Molting in turtles does not occur like it does in snakes, all at once, but rather in flakes. Dead skin falls off in smaller sheets instead of molting as one large layer.

Limbs

The anatomy of the limbs and feet are a distinguishing factor between aquatic turtles and terrestrial tortoises. The differences are due to the distinct functions of the limbs, swimming in aquatic turtles and supports and walking for terrestrial turtles.

Week 12

I made the following edits to my draft 2. I did this above so I didn't have such long sections in my sandbox. Both week 11 and 12 edits are in the group sandbox though.

• I editing spacing that was weird in my article
• I edited the caption of the picture I added of the Green Sea Turtle last week
• Reformat pictures to include three instead of two
• Reworded a few sentences to make them flow better