The anatomy of the rostral nasal cavity and vomeronasal organ in Tarsipes rostratus (Marsupialia: Tarsipedidae).

Abstract

The rostral nasal structure of Tarsipes is described from diagrams drawn from transverse serial sections. Left and right nasal cavities are separate but nasal and oral cavities communicate freely via the nasopalatine ducts, whose oral openings lie lateral to the incisive papilla. The papilla is grooved ventrally with taste buds on the sides of the groove. The nasopalatine ducts open to the nasal cavity below a glandular swell body over the tip of the vomeronasal cartilage. The ducts of the vomeronasal organ open into the oral end of the nasopalatine ducts. The organ extends about one third of the way along the base of the septum, with sensory epithelium medially and ciliated epithelium laterally. Vomeronasal glands occupy the ventral half of the septum caudal to the sensory epithelium. It is suggested that their secretion reaches the spiny dorsal surface of the tongue, and that tongue movements may assist the presentation of odours to the vomeronasal organ. Olfactory epithelium reaches as far rostrally as the bony nasal septum in the dorsal nasal cavity. The ventral cavity is lined by ciliated epithelium with few goblet cells. The nasal vestibule receives secretion from septal glands of the dorsal swell body, from the lateral nasal gland, and from the lacrimal gland via the nasolacrimal duct.