Journal of Morphology

Diprotodontia represents the largest and ecologically most distinct order of Marsupials. With the anatomy of the bony labyrinth, which houses the sense organ of spatial orientations, locomotion modes can be detected and used for extinct species.

The skeleton of Barboides gracilis, one of the smallest African vertebrates, is characterized by the complete absence of a number of ossifications, and marked reduction of others. Large areas of cartilage (stained blue), typical of a larval skeleton, persist in the neurocranium, the gill arches, and the shoulder girdle.

The snake yolk sac becomes filled with a mass of vascularized strands of endodermal cells that take up and digest yolk, entirely unlike the case in birds.

Two East African mole-rat species studied showed differences in gastric, cecal, and colic morphology. As the animals share similar geographical regions and only slight differences in diet, differences in gastrointestinal morphology may be attributed to phylogeny

Tachyoryctes splendens Heliophobius emini Double chamber hemi-glandular stomach Coiled ascending colon Single parallel loop Bar= 1 cm Caecal appendix

Lungfishes possess a unique accessory olfactory organ, sharing features with the vomeronasal organ of most tetrapods. Scanning electron microscopical investigations of these so called epithelial crypts in the West African lungfish and the South American lungfish reveal a complex arrangement of ciliated and secretory cells, which is likely to influence the functional mechanisms of stimulus transportation and detection within these olfactory organs.

3D digital model of the cochlea of the pygmy right whale (Caperea marginata) in anterior, lateral dorsal, and vestibular views.

Giant size of Riftia pachyptila is achieved thanks to well-developed blood vascular system, especially in tentacles, brain, gonad, trophosome, and additional hearts in the dorsal vessel in the opisthosome and mesenterial vessel. For the first time the basal tentacle vessels have been found in Riftia. If the presence of the axial vessels is an achievement of the large animal, while the presence of the basal vessels is an ancestral trait of Vestimentifera. We have shown two morphologically different intravasal bodies which likely varies depending on the function. We hypothesize new structure of the sinus valvatus associated with coelomic cavities.

Two distinct tarsal-metatarsal patterns are recognized among caviomorph rodents, expressing the extremes of an important anatomical variation. These patterns reveal diverse locomotor adaptations, as well as the evidence of phylogenetic effects.

Sequence of dorsal fin development in Marosatherina: (1-2) Second dorsal fin structures develop bilaterally, (3) interdorsal and first dorsal fin pterygiophores from posterior to anterior and (4) first dorsal fin rays from anterior to posterior.

Eurythoe complanata—TEM micrograph of a chaeta near the basis, shows that the chaeta is neither hollow, nor connected to a poison gland. This rebuts the idea that fireworms chaetae function as needle-like structures that can inject venom into a predator's skin.