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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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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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00188546