Derek Shapiro Rose Hills
Lung Development in Dermophis Mexicanus
Not too many people can say they have ever heard of a caecilian, however, these worm-like, tailless amphibians, are an intriguing and understudied organism. For my project, I will be conducting an in depth, observational study of the lung development of one particular species, Dermophis mexicanus. This tropical species has two lungs, similar to other vertebrates, but one distinguishing characteristic is that these lungs are of unequal size. In Dermophis mexicanus, the left lung is significantly smaller than the right lung and the goal of my project is to detail this process of development. Hopefully, as I progress through the summer, I will be able to shed some light as to why these structures develop in this unique fashion and contribute to the growing knowledge of such a fascinating creature.