A schematic representation showing the ultrastructural characteristics of the hindgut apical matrices and epithelium during late intramarsupial development and in comparison to the hindgut cuticular lining of adult animals in P. scaber. The axis represents the successive developmental stages and the percentage of embryonic development. The vertical dashed lines indicate the transition from embryonic to larval development and from larval development to adult stage. The thick horizontal lines represent presence of the individual feature in the certain stages. The specific features of the cuticle are indicated by the thin lines.