Die Eischalen-Strukturen der Reptilien als ein Bild tierischer Konstitution

Jahrbuch für Goetheanismus 2003, 2003, P.122-206 | DOI: 10.18756/jfg.2003.122

Abstract:

The egg shell structures of reptiles as a picture of the animal's constitution

The articles on bird egg shells in the Tycho de Brahe yearbooks 1996 and 1997 are here supplemented with an article on reptile eggs which also reviews the situation with the birds.

The poikilothermic reptiles mostly bury their predominantly colour less eggs in the ground without incubating the eggs thcmselves. During incubation the eggs increase in weight. This shows the relation of the reptiles to the Earth, to coldness, darkness and weight. During Earth evolution ahrimanic beings belonging to the higher hierarchies connected with these qualities. On the one hand they consolidate living beings to the extent necessary for living on the Earth but on the other hand they want them to reach maturity too soon, to over-individualise them and increase their life span. Evolutionally‚ for the animals this means an anticipation of characteristics of higher animal groups/classes (e. g. bird-like appendices on some ribs of the tuatara, Spbenodonpunctatus; highly developed care for nests and young in the case of crocodiles; a internal voice in the case of gcckos; ovovivipary in the case of snakes and some lizards).

The classifying criteria for the egg shell structures do not seem to be the evolutionary stages of the reptiles but rather their threefoldness (digestively dominated turtles; rhythmiéally dominated crocodiles; tuatara, varans and geekos and nerve-sensc dominated snakes). This correlates with a more or less»head-like«or»limb-like«ossification of the different reptile bodies: land turtles maximally represent over the whole body the»formative characteristics of the head«, with its mostly ossified skull bones, by enelosing the thorax and abdomen within a fully ossified carapace. Snake-like lizards (scincidae, lacertidae) and snakes represent the»formative characteristics of the limbs«. The snakes also have reduced ossification of the skull and show joint-like flexibility of skull boncs.

In eontrast to the reptiles, the warm-blooded birds thcmselves incubate their clutches of eggs which are mostly laid above-ground and are often beautifully pigmented. During incubation, bird eggs loose weight. During evolution of the earth luciferic beings, also belonging to the higher hierarchies, connected with the qualities of lightness, air, light, colour and warmth. On the one hand, these beings prevent too strong or premature ossification in animals and man, keep open the connection to the spiritual world and inspire creativity and art in man whilst on the other hand they tend to keep all living beings on earth in a state of childhood, preventing individualisation and shortening life spam. Evolutionally, for the animals this means a retention of characteristics of lower animal groups/classes (e. g. reptile-like characteristics such as scales covering the legs of gallinaceous birds, egg burying in the megapode birds, limb relics in boas and pythons).

The eggs of different rcptilcs can be distinguished especially by their shell structures:»Ahriman models! «In contrast‚ the eggs of different birds can be distinguished especially by their pigmentation:»Lucifer paints!«Compared with rcptiles, birds on the whole manifest an additional formative characteristic of the head namely the soul which is expressed in their high body temperature, singin'g, plumage colour and egg pigmentation. The formative characteristic of the head as a general developmental principle for the whole body is reduced in birds to the appendices on the ribs, contributing to reinforcernent of the bird's thorax.

References

  • ATTENBOROUGH , D. (1999): Das geheime Leben der Vögel. Bern, München, Wien
  • BOARD, R. G., PERROTT, 11. R., Love, G. & SCOTT, V. D. (1984): The phosphate-rich cover on the eggshells of grebes (aves: podicipitiformes). Journal of Zoology 203: 329-343
  • CARROLL, R. L. (1982): Early evolution of reptiles. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 13: 87-109
  • CARROLL, R. L. (1988): Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. New York
  • CHAN, E.-H. & SOLOMON, S. E. (1989): The structure and function of the eggshell of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) from Malaysia, with notes on attachcd fungal forms. Animal Technology 40(2): 91-102
  • COGGER, H. C. & ZWEIFEL, R. G. (Hrsg.) (1999): Enzyklopädie der Reptilien und Amphibien. Augsburg
  • DEEMING, D. C. & FERGUSON, M. W. J. (Eds.) (1991): Egg Incubation: Its Effects on Embryonic Development in Birds and Reptiles. Cambridge, New York, Port Chester
  • DIESENER, G. & REICHHOLF, J. (1996): Lurche und Kricchticre. Steinbachs Naturführer. München
  • DORKA, R., GEHLIG, R., SCHAD, W. & SCHEFFLER, A. (Hrsg.) (1998):»Zum Erstaunen bin ich da«- Forschungswege in Goetheanismus und Anthroposophie. Dornach
  • ELLIOTT, J. C. (1973): Problems of the composition and structure of the mineral components of the hard tissues. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research 93: 313-345
  • ERBEN, H. K. (1970): Ultrastrukturen und Mineralisation rezenter und fossiler Eischalen bei Vögeln und Reptilien. Biomineralisation - Forschungsberichte (Biomineralization - Research Reports) 1: 1-66
  • ERBEN, H. K. (1972): Ultrastrukturen und Dicke der Wand pathologischer Eischalen. Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Abhandlungen der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Klasse 6: 191-216
  • ERBEN, H. K., HOEFS, J. & WI£DEPOHL, K. H. (1979): Paleobiological and isotopic studies of eggshells from a declining dinosaur species. Paleobiology 5(4): 380-414
  • FLINDT, R. (1986): Biologie in Zahlen. Stuttgart, New York
  • FORSYTII‚ A. (1989): The Architecture of Animals. The Equinox Guide to Wildlife Structures. Toronto (Kanada)
  • GEHLIG, R. & SCHAD, W. (1996): Über die Färbung und Zeichnung der Vogelcier. In: 'l'ycho de Brahe-Jahrbuch für Goetheanismus 1996, S. 282-371. Niefern-Öschclbronn
  • GÖBEL, Th. (2003): Persönliche Mitteilung
  • GOODERS, J. (1992): Das bedrohte Vogelparadies. München
  • GRINE, F. E. & KITCHING, J. W. (1990): Scanning electron microscopy of early dinosaur egg shell structure: a comparison With other rigid sauropsid eggs. In: Martin, L. & al. (Eds.), Scanning Microscopy of Vertebrate Mineralized Tissues, S. 351366. Chicago
  • GRZIMEK, B. (1980a): Grzimeks Tierleben. Enzyklopädie des Tierreichs Bd. 6 (Kricchtiere). München
  • GRZIMEK, B. (1980b): Grzimeks Tierleben. Enzyklopädie des Tierreichs Bd. 7 und 8 (Vögel). München
  • HIRSCH, K. F. & Packard, M. J. (1990): Review of fossil eggs and their structure. In: Martin, L. & al. (Eds.)‚ Scanning Microscopy of Vertebrate Mineralized Tissues, S. 367-384. Chicago
  • IVERSON, J. B. & EWERT, M. A. (1991): Physical characteristics of reptilian eggs and a comparison With avian eggs. In: Deeming, D. C. & Ferguson, M. W J. (Eds.), Egg Incubation: Its Effects on Embryonic Development in Birds and Reptiles, S. 87 -100. Cambridge, Port Chester, New York
  • KENNEDY, G. Y. & VEVERS, H. G. (1976): A survey of avian eggshell pigments. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 55 B: 117-123
  • KRIESTEN, K. (1975): Untersuchungen über Ultrastruktur, Proteinmuster und Aminosäurenzusammensetzung der Eischalen von Testudo elephantopus, Caiman crocodylus und Iguana iguana. Zoologische Jahrbücher, Abteilung für Anatomie und Ontogenie der Tiere 94: 101-122
  • LAMB, T. & CONCDON, J. D. (1985): Ash content: relationships to flexible and rigid eggshell types of turtles. Journal of Herpetology 19(4): 527-528
  • LANG, M. R. & WELLS, J. W (1987): A review of egg shell pigmentation. World/s Poultry Science Journal 43: 238-246
  • MIKHAILOV, K. E. (1988): The microstructure of avian and dinosaurian eggshell: phylogenetic implications. In: Campbell, K. F.. (Ed.), 2nd International Symposium of the Society of Avian Paleontology and Evolution, 28.-30.9.1988. Los Angeles, California
  • MONTEL, G., BONEL, G., HEUGHEBAERT, J. C., TROMBE, J. C. & REY, C. (1981): New concepts in the composition, crystallization and growth of the mineral component of calcified tissues. Journal of Crystal Growth 53: 74-99
  • PACKARD, M. J. & DE MARCO, V. G. (1991): Eggshell structure and formation in eggs of oviparous reptiles. In: Deeming, D. C. & Ferguson, M. W J. (Eds.), Egg [neubation: Its Effects on Embryonic Development in Birds and Reptiles, S. 53-69. Cambridge
  • PACKARD, M. J. & PACKARD, G. C. (1979): Structure of the shell and tertiary membranes of eggs of softshell turtles (Trionyx spiniferus). Journal of Morphology 159: 131-144
  • PACKARD, M. J. & PACKARD, G. C. (1984): Comparative aspects of calcium metabolism in embryonic reptiles and birds. In: Seymour, R. S. (Ed.), Perspectives in Vertebrate Science 3 (Respiration and Metabolism of Embryonic Vertebrates), S. 155-179. Dordrecht (NL), Boston (USA)
  • Packard, M. J., Packard, G. C. & BOARDMAN, T. J. (1982): Structure of eggshells and water relations of reptilian eggs. Herpetologica 38: 136-155
  • PACKARD, M. J. & HIRSCH, K. F. (1990): Scanning electron microscopy of eggshells of contemporary reptiles. In: Martin, L. & al. (Eds.), Scanning Microscopy of Vertebrate Mineralized Tissues, S. 341-350. Chicago
  • PACKARD, M. J., HIRSCH, K. F. & MEYER-ROCI-IOW, V. B. (1982): Structure of the shell from eggs of the tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus. Journal of Morphology 174: 197-205
  • PACKARD, G. C., TRACEY, C. R. & ROTH, J. J. (1977): The physiological ecology of reptilian eggs and embryos, and the evolution of viviparity within the class reptilia. Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 52: 71-105
  • PORTMANN, A. (1984): Vom Wunder des Vogellebens. München, Zürich
  • ROGNER, M. (1994): Echsen, Bd. 2 (Warane, Skinke und andere Echsen sowie Brückenechsen und Krokodile). Stuttgart
  • Ross, C. A. (l Irsg.) (2002): Krokodile und Alligatoren. Niedernhausen
  • SCHAD, W. (1971): Säugetiere und Mensch. Stuttgart
  • SCHAD, W. (1996): Das Denken in Entwicklung. Zugänge durch Goetheanismus und Evolutionsbiologie. Die Drei 66/3: 188-201, 5: 433-453, 6: 544-557
  • SCHAD, W. (1998): Die Zeitintegration als Entwicklungsmodus in der Makroevolution. In: DORKA, R., GEHLIG, R., SCHAD, W., SCHEFFLER, A. (Hrsg.),»Zum Erstaunen bin ich da«- Forschungswege in Goetheanismus und Anthroposophie, S. 151-174. Dornach, S. C.HLEICH, H. H. & KÄSTLE, W (1988): Reptile Egg-Shells. SEM Atlas. Stuttgart, New York
  • SCHMIDT, W (1968): Die Eischalenstruktur eines»ovum in ovo«von Turdus merula. Zoologischer Anzeiger 181: 185-190
  • SEXTON, O. J. , VEITH, G. M. & PHILLIPS, D. M. (1979): Ultrastructure of the eggshell of two species of Andine lizards. Journal of Experimental Zoology 207: 227-236
  • SIMKISS, K. (1968): The structure and formation of the shell and shell membranes. In: Carter, T. C. (Ed.), Egg Quality. A Study of the Hen's Egg. British Egg Marketing Board Symposium 4: 3-25
  • SIMPSON, D. R. (1972): Problems of the composition and structure of the bone minerals. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research 86: 260-286
  • SOLOMON, S. E. (1987): Egg shell pigmentation. In: Wells, R. G. & Belyavin, C. G., Egg Quality - Current Problems and. Recent Advances, S. 147-157. London, Boston, Durban
  • SOLOMON, S. E. & COLLINS, R. (1986): Structural anomalies in the eggshell of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus). Animal Technology 37(3): 179-186
  • SOLOMON, S. E. & WATT, J. M. (1985): The structure of the eggshell of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Animal Technology 36(1): 19-27
  • STARCK, D. (1982): Vergleichende Anatomie der Wirbeltiere. Berlin, Heidelberg
  • STEINER, R. (1910): Die Geheimwissenschaft im Umriß. Dornach
  • STEINER, R. (1921): Die Verantwortung des Menschen für die Weltentwicklung (GA 203), 8. Vortrag (29.01.1921) und 9. Vortrag (30.01.1921). Dornach 1978