Osteoderms

Osteoderms are bony deposits that develop within the skin of some vertebrates. They can form protective armor or contribute to body support and display.

Dermal bone: Bone formed within connective tissue without first developing from a cartilage model. Osteoderms are a specialized form of bone that develops within the dermis.
Crocodilian armor: The rows of bony osteoderms embedded beneath the skin of crocodilians. Crocodilian osteoderms provide a clear example of body armor.
Stegosaurus: A Late Jurassic herbivorous dinosaur known for its paired back plates and tail spikes. Its plates are often discussed alongside osteoderms, though their precise identity is debated.
Osteoderm: A bony element that forms within the dermis of an animal’s skin. This singular anatomical term names the structures discussed on this page.
Intramembranous ossification: Bone formation in which bone tissue develops directly from mesenchymal connective tissue. This process helps explain how osteoderms can form within skin.
Armadillo armor: A flexible covering of bony plates and connective tissue in armadillos. Armadillos use articulated osteoderms as a protective body covering.
Ankylosauria: A group of armored herbivorous dinosaurs with extensive bony plates and, in some species, tail clubs. Ankylosaurs carried abundant osteoderms embedded in their skin.
Osteoscute: A compound protective structure consisting of a bony plate covered by a horny layer. It distinguishes bone-backed coverings from purely external scutes.
Dermis: The connective-tissue layer beneath the epidermis in vertebrate skin. Osteoderms develop within this skin layer.
Glyptodont: An extinct, heavily armored relative of modern armadillos. Its fused osteoderm carapace shows how extensive dermal armor could become.

Linked from 49 pages