Abstract:
This study was aimed to investigate of the anatomy of the aortic arch and the distribution of its main branches in the greater flamingo. For this purpose, five flamingos, two of which were female and three were male, were used. The vascular anatomy was demonstrated by latex injection method. It was observed that two brachiocephalic trunks branched off from the ascending aorta in the greater flamingos. The subclavian and common carotid arteries stemmed from these two trunks. Along its cranial course, the subclavian artery first gave off the sternoclavicular artery, and then the axillary artery, intercostal artery and finally internal and external thoracic arteries. The common carotid arteries were observed to give off the tracheosyringeal branch, which supplied the syrinx and trachea, and the thyroid artery, which supplied the thyroid gland. The left common carotid artery terminated after sending off branches to the syrinx and the neck. While the right common carotid artery gave off branches similar to those of the left common carotid artery, after giving off these branches, it coursed to the head as a single artery in the ventral part of the neck. In all of the flamingos, the presence of the right unilateral common carotid artery was noteworthy. It is considered that the species-specific information obtained in this study, for the aortic arch and its branches in the flamingo, would contribute to the understanding of the circulatory system in these water bird species, as well as to future comparative studies.
Page(s):
1681-1686
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Pakistan Journal of Zoology, Volume: 48, Issue: 6, Year: 2016