Chemical Composition and Crystal Structure of the Eggshell of the Green Crested Lizard Bronchocela cristatella(Agamidae)

摘要

The majority of extant reptiles are oviparous and produce eggs with three major components:embryo,yolk,and eggshell.The eggshell is species-specific and more diverse in squamate reptiles than in other amniote taxa.Here,we study the crystal structure,chemical composition,and bonding states of the eggshell of the green crested lizard Bronchocela cristatella.X-ray diffractometer(XRD)analysis showed the existence of two clearly defined and distinguishable crystalline phases,aragonite and calcite.Using the XRD data and a unit cell refinement routine,we identified two sets of cell parameters:a=4.956 A,b=7.965 A,and c=5.734 A for the aragonite phase;a=4.987 A,b=4.987 A,and c=17.056 A for the calcite structure.We used x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to examine detailed elemental composition and bonding states and found that the eggshell was composed primarily of elements C,N,Ca,and O,with C,N and O bonded to various types of hybridization in the protein of the eggshell membrane.The Ca:C:O ratio for the calcium carbonate yielded a value of-7:8:21,which is close to the expected stoichiometric value of CaCO3.