A redescription of the Late Jurassic (Tithonian) turtle Uluops uluops and a new phylogenetic hypothesis of Paracryptodira

We study the Late Jurassic (Tithonian) turtle Uluops uluops using micro-computed tomography scans to investigate the cranial anatomy of paracryptodires, and provide new insights into the evolution of the internal carotid artery and facial nerve systems, as well as the phylogenetic relationships of this group. We demonstrate the presence of a canalis caroticus lateralis in Uluops uluops, the only pleurosternid for which a palatine artery canal can be confidently identified. Our phylogenetic analysis retrieves Uluops uluops as the earliest branching pleurosternid, Helochelydridae within Pleurosternidae, and Compsemydidae including Kallokibotion bajazidi within Baenidae, which suggests at least two independent losses of the palatine artery within paracryptodires. We expect future studies will provide additional insights into the evolution of the circulation system of paracryptodires, as well as clarifying relationships along the turtle stem.

Palatal flap in bilateral inferior partial maxillectomy

Maxillectomy is done for a variety of disease conditions. Reconstruction following maxillectomy is done to restore the form and function. One of the important goals that are to be achieved in reconstruction is the separation of the oral and nasal cavities. In this article, we report the use of palatal flap by preserving the descending palatine artery during bilateral inferior partial maxillectomy, for separating the nasal cavity from the oral cavity. This technique eliminates the need for an obturator or another free or local flap for this purpose.

A review of the carotid artery and facial nerve canal systems in extant turtles

The cranial circulation and innervation systems of turtles have been studied for more than two centuries and extensively used to understand turtle systematics. Although a significant number of studies related to these structures exists, a broader comprehension of variation across the tree has been hindered by poor sampling and a lack of synthetic studies that addressed both systems together. We here provide new insights regarding the carotid circulation and facial nerve innervation systems in a broad set of extant turtles using CT (computed tomography) scans, which allow us to trace the canals these structures form in bone and understand the interaction between both systems. We document that the palatine artery, including the lateral carotid canal, is absent in all pleurodires and carettochelyids and was likely reduced or lost several times independently within Testudinoidea. We also highlight osteological correlates for the location of the mandibular artery. We finally summarize variation regarding the placement of the mandibular artery, location of the geniculate ganglion, placement of the hyomandibular and vidian nerves, and situations where we recommend caution when assessing canals in fossils. A morphometric study confirms that the relative sizes of the carotid canals are correlated with one another. Our results have the potential for building new phylogenetic characters and investigating the circulation systems of fossil taxa, which are expected to shed light on the evolution of the circulation system of turtles and clarify some unresolved relationships between fossil turtle clades.

Morphological Studies and Arterial Supply of the Pharynx in the Goat (Capra hiracus)

The present work was carried out to give complete information about the anatomy and histology of pharynx in the goat which may be helpful for further studies to both under graduate and post graduate studies. The morphological studies of the pharynx entailed the collection of twenty-four heads together with first two cervical vertebrae from apparently healthy adult goats of both sexes from the Giza governorate. The results showed that the pharynx in goat was an irregular funnel shaped structure. It extended from the caudal end of the horizontal lamina of the palatine bone, extended caudoventrally up to the level of the caudal border of the wing of atlas. The pharyngeal fornix was smooth and concave and divided by the septum pharyngis into two deep narrow cavities. The pharyngeal opening of the auditory tube was crescent shaped slit situated at the caudodorsal part of the lateral wall of the nasopharynx. It was covered medially by a thin mucosal fold (salpingo-pharyngeal fold, contained hyaline cartilage in lamina propria). Both the Tonsilla pharyngea and the Tonsilla tubaria observed only microscopically. The oropharynx was short, wide and dilatable. The palatine tonsil was located on the caudal third of the lateral wall of the oropharynx. The pharynx of the goat received its arterial blood supply via the ascending pharyngeal, ascending palatine arteries, and the pharyngeal branches of the cranial thyroid, cranial laryngeal and Rr. musculares of the lingual artery. The soft palate is vascularized through lesser palatine artery, in addition to the branches of the pterygoid artery of the maxillary artery. The results obtained were discussed with the available literature in different animals.