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Anat Rec

Title:		Morphological characteristics of the vomeronasal organ of the newborn Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)
Author(s):		Johnson EW; Rasmussen L;
Address:		"Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho 83209-8007, USA. johnedwa@isu.edu"
Journal Title:		Anat Rec
Year:		2002
Volume:		267
Issue:		3
Page Number:		252 - 259
DOI:		10.1002/ar.10112
ISSN/ISBN:		0003-276X (Print) 0003-276X (Linking)
Abstract:		"The 6-week-old Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) has a well-documented precocious flehmen response to pheromones, suggesting that the pheromone-detecting vomeronasal organ (VNO) is functional very early in the life of this species. To further document this, the VNOs of two newborn elephants were examined in situ and analyzed by light microscopy (LM) to ascertain their structural maturity at birth. A tubular, cartilage-encased VNO was located along the anterior base of each side of the nasal septum. Its rostral end was connected to a duct to the roof of the mouth; the caudal end was attached to a well-defined vomeronasal nerve projecting toward the brain. LM revealed distinctive differences in the mucosae bordering the horseshoe-shaped lumen: a concave, sensory mucosa, and a convex, nonsensory mucosa. Small groups of receptor neurons were observed among ciliated columnar cells in the sensory epithelium. Numerous unmyelinated nerve bundles and blood vessels filled the underlying lamina propria (LP) and a small section of the vomeronasal nerve was conspicuous at one edge. The nonsensory mucosa manifested a thinner epithelium that principally consisted of ciliated columnar cells, some of which showed a granular cytoplasm, and a conspicuous row of basal cells. The LP was replete with acinar glands and ducts that opened into the lumen. This study shows that the VNO of the newborn elephant has reached an advanced stage of structural maturity, closely resembling that of the adult. Its composition supports the view that flehmen at 6 weeks delivers pheromones to a functional VNO"
Keywords:		"Animals Animals, Newborn *Elephants Male Mucous Membrane/cytology Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated/physiology Sensory Receptor Cells/cytology Vomeronasal Organ/*anatomy & histology/physiology;"
Notes:		"MedlineJohnson, Edward W Rasmussen, Lel eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2002/07/13 Anat Rec. 2002 Jul 1; 267(3):252-9. doi: 10.1002/ar.10112"