The current study deduced the growth pattern and lifestyle habits of Chersina angulata based on bone histology and cross‐sectional geometry of limb bones. Femora, humeri, and tibiae of seven different‐sized individuals representing different ontogenetic stages were assessed to determine the interelement and intraskeletal histological variation within and among the tortoises. The bone histology of adult propodials consists of a highly vascularized, uninterrupted fibrolamellar bone tissue with a woven texture in the perimedullary and midcortical regions suggesting overall fast early growth. However, later in ontogeny, growth was slow and even ceased periodically as suggested by slowly formed parallel‐fibered bone tissue and several growth marks in the pericortical region. In juvenile individuals, fibrolamellar bone tissue is restricted to the perimedullary regions of propodials as remnants of bone formed during the earliest stages of ontogeny. The epipodials are characterized by having parallel‐fibered bone tissue present in their cortices; however, periodic arrests in growth are recorded at various times. Remnants of fibrolamellar bone tissue formed during early ontogeny occur in the epipodials of only a few individuals. Interelement variation is evident, in terms of variation in the orientation of vascular canals between individuals and within the same diaphyseal cross‐sections. Different elements show varying cross‐sectional geometry, which appear to be correlated with the fossorial behavior of the species. Our results show that of all the long bones, the tibia is least remodeled during ontogeny and it is therefore the best element for skeletochronology.

中文翻译：

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Chesina angulata 的长骨组织学：元素间变异和生活史数据

目前的研究基于骨骼组织学和四肢骨骼的横截面几何形状推断了 Chesina angulata 的生长模式和生活方式。评估代表不同个体发育阶段的七个不同大小个体的股骨、肱骨和胫骨，以确定陆龟内部和之间的元素间和骨骼内组织学变异。成虫的骨组织学由高度血管化、不间断的纤维板层骨组织组成，在髓周和皮质中部区域具有编织纹理，表明整体早期快速生长。然而，在个体发育后期，生长缓慢甚至周期性地停止，正如缓慢形成的平行纤维骨组织和皮质周围区域的几个生长标记所表明的那样。在青少年个体中，纤维板层骨组织仅限于前体的髓周区域，因为在个体发育的最早阶段形成的骨骼残余物。上足的特征是其皮质中存在平行纤维状骨组织；然而，在不同时间记录了增长的周期性停滞。在早期个体发育过程中形成的纤维板层骨组织的残余物仅出现在少数个体的上足中。就个体之间和同一骨干横截面内血管管方向的变化而言，元素间的变化是明显的。不同的元素显示出不同的横截面几何形状，这似乎与物种的化石行为相关。我们的结果表明，在所有长骨中，