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Developmental staging in a marsupial Dasyurus hallucatus

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Summary

In a marsupial, Dasyurus hallucatus, pouchyoung of various ages from newborn to 55 days were embedded in wax and serially sectioned. On the basis of the relative development of external and internal characteristics, they were placed in the Carnegie staging system developed by Streeter and elaborated by O'Rahilly and associates. Birth occurred at stage 15, and the end of embryogenesis (stage 23) was reached about day 33. Whereas stage 23 is characterised in all eutherians by the closure of the secondary palate, this occurs before stage 15 in D. hallucatus. Since most other characters of the newborn are at a stage 15 level of development, there has been a relative acceleration of development of the secondary palate (and forelimb) in D. hallucatus that allows it to suckle and breathe at the same time. Between D. hallucatus and eutherians, there is general agreement in the sequence of development and in the relative degree of most structures at each stage. Further marsupials should be examined to see if the minor differences noted are peculiar to D. hallucatus or apply to marsupials generally.

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Abbreviations

I :

II III IIII ventricles

AC :

anterior commissure

AD :

adenohypophysis

BS :

blood sinus

BT :

basitrabecular

CD :

cerebral peduncles

CE :

cervical swelling

CH :

cerebral hemisphere

CI :

central nucleus of inferior colliculus

CO :

cortical plate

CP :

cerebellar plate

CR :

cerebellar ridge

CX :

choroid plexus

DI :

diencephalon

DT :

dorsal thalamus

EC :

external capsule

EM :

eye muscle

EP :

epithalamus

ES :

epiphysis

ET :

epitrichium

EY :

eye

FL :

forelimb

GG :

gasserian ganglion

GU :

gut

HB :

habenular nucleus

HE :

heart

HP :

hippocampus

HS :

head shield

HY :

hypothalamus

IC :

internal capsule

IE :

inner ear

IL :

intermediate layer

IN :

inferior colliculus

IO :

inferior olivary nucleus

IX :

glossopharyngeal nerve

LF :

lateral forebrain bundle

LG :

lateral geniculate nucleus

LI :

liver

LO :

lamina orbitonasalis

LR :

lateral recess

LS :

lateral striatal ridge

MB :

mamillary bodies

ME :

mesencephalon

MI :

mitral cells

MS :

medial striatal ridge

NE :

neurohypophysis

NO :

neocortex

NP :

nasal passage

NS :

nasal septum

OB :

olfactory bulb

OC :

optic chiasm

OG :

otic ganglion

ON :

olfactory nerve

OP :

optic nerve

OS :

orbitosphenoid

OT :

optic stalk

PA :

paraseptal cartilage

PC :

posterior commissure

PL :

paleocortex

PR :

parachordal cartilage

RH :

rhombencephalon

RI :

rib

RL :

rhombic lip

SC :

superior colliculus

SH :

pectoral girdle

SI :

sulcus interhemisphericus

SM :

stria medullaris thalami

SP :

septum

ST :

striatum

TE :

telencephalon

TO :

tongue

TR :

trabecular cartilage

TU :

turbinal

VE :

velum transversum

VL :

ventricular layer

VN :

vomeronasal nerves

VT :

ventral thalamus

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Monash University, 3168, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

    John E. Nelson

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Nelson, J.E. Developmental staging in a marsupial Dasyurus hallucatus . Anat Embryol 185, 335–354 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00188546

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