A chambered heart is common to all vertebrates, but reptiles show unparalleled variation in
ventricular septation, ranging from almost absent in tuataras to full in crocodilians. Because …

Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of human death in the developing
world. Extensive evidence indicates that various toxic environmental factors and unhealthy …

Birds occupy a unique position in the evolution of cardiac design. Their hearts are capable
of cardiac performance on par with, or exceeding that of mammals, and yet the structure of …

The atrial septum enables efficient oxygen transport by separating the systemic and
pulmonary venous blood returning to the heart. Only in placental mammals will the atrial …

ABSTRACT A prominent layer of smooth muscle lining the luminal side of the atria of
freshwater turtles (Emydidae) was described more than a century ago. We recently …

The development of the ventricular myocardial trabeculae occurs in three steps: emergence,
trabeculation and remodeling. The whole process has been described in vertebrates with …

Reptile cardiology is an underdeveloped specialty of reptile medicine. During the 19th
century, a significant amount of research was done to elucidate the cardiac physiology of …