Relating to or connecting both the skin and the skeletal system, especially in animals where these structures are integrated.
From 'derma' (skin) + 'skeletal' (relating to skeleton). Modern biological term describing integrated skin-skeleton systems.
In animals like fish and reptiles, the dermoskeletal system is perfectly integrated—scales are part of their skeleton, which is why you can't separate a fish's scales without damaging its protective system.
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