Trigeminal Nerve Morphology in Alligator mississippiensis and Its Significance for Crocodyliform Facial Sensation and Evolution

@article{George2013TrigeminalNM,
  title={Trigeminal Nerve Morphology in Alligator mississippiensis and Its Significance for Crocodyliform Facial Sensation and Evolution},
  author={Ian D. George and Casey M. Holliday},
  journal={The Anatomical Record},
  year={2013},
  volume={296},
  url={https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:2858794}
}
A cross‐sectional study integrating histological, morphometric, and 3D imaging analyses was conducted to identify patterns in cranial nervous and bony structures of Alligator mississippiensis, suggesting that phylogeny or somatosensory adaptations may be responsible for the variation in trigeminal ganglion and nerve size in crocodyliforms.
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83 Citations

Ontogeny of the trigeminal system and associated structures in Alligator mississippiensis

A high growth rate and allometric trajectory of the trigeminal nerve is found in comparison to other cranial nerves, likely associated with the large volume of trigeminals musculature and high densities of sensory receptors.

Ecomorphological patterns in trigeminal canal branching among sauropsids reveal sensory shift in suchians

An increase in sensory abilities in Early Jurassic crocodylomorphs is identified, preceding the transitions to a semiaquatic habitat, and stepwise progression of increasing neurovascular canal density, complexity, and distribution from the primitive archosaurian to the derived crocodilian condition is found.

Predicting behavior in extinct reptiles from quantitative analysis of trigeminal osteological correlates

A quantitative assessment of ecomorphological trends of trigeminal osteological correlates proves informative for the hypotheses of sensory behavior in extinct taxa and supports the use of similar assessment methods for other osteological correlates.

Anatomy and Ontogeny of the Mandibular Symphysis in Alligator mississippiensis

The mandibular symphysis anatomy of an ontogenetic series of Alligator mississippiensis is explored using imaging, histology, and whole mount methods to hypothesize a fused Meckel's cartilage offers stiffness in hatchling mandibles prior to the development of organized sutural ligaments and mineralized bone while offering a scaffold for somatic growth.

A 3D ontogenetic atlas of Alligator mississippiensis cranial nerves and their significance for comparative neurology of reptiles

3D models an of the cranial nerves and cranial nerve targets of embryonic, juvenile, and adult American Alligators derived from iodine‐contrast CT imaging are shared, for the first time, exploring anatomical patterns of Cranial nerves across ontogeny and revealing tradeoffs of using contrast‐enhanced CT data.

The rostral neurovascular system of Tyrannosaurus rex

An overview of the literature suggests that the evolution of the trigeminal canals among sauropsids only weakly supports previous hypotheses of crocodile-like facial sensitivity in non-avian theropods (except, maybe, in semiaquatic taxa).

A comparative description of the maxillary and mandibular divisions of the trigeminal nerve in birds

The results indicate that birds with foraging or prey capture techniques not relying on mechanoreception through the bill possess maxillary and mandibular divisions of the trigeminal nerve that are less robust as they enter the beak.

Comparative morphology, morphometry and distribution pattern of the trigeminal nerve branches supplying the bill tip in the ostrich (Struthio camelus) and emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

The large size of the nerve fibres, the high nerve fibre count and the particular distribution of the nerves in the bill tip support the existence of a well-developed sensory area in this region of the ostrich and emu.

The neuroanatomy of Zulmasuchus querejazus (Crocodylomorpha, Sebecidae) and its implications for the paleoecology of sebecosuchians

Using computed tomography scanning, the cranial endocast, associated nerves and arteries, endosseous labyrinths, and cranial pneumatization are reconstructed and compared with those of extant and fossil crocodylomorphs, representative of different ecomorphological adaptations.

Braincase anatomy of the Paleocene crocodyliform Rhabdognathus revealed through high resolution computed tomography

Dyrosaurids were highly specialized, largely marine, relatives of living crocodylians, and one of the few archosaur lineages to survive the K-Pg extinction, and now appear to possess neuroanatomical modifications facilitating an agile predatory near-shore ecology.
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