这项研究的目的是描述霍加皮舌的形态,并将结果与包括浏览器在内的其他反刍动物进行比较,中间体和食草动物。该材料是在动物园中的两只动物死后收集的。霍加皮舌的结构,聚焦舌头的形状,舌面,它的乳头和舌腺,使用总体形态学检查,光和偏振显微镜,和扫描电子显微镜。霍加皮舌的特征是在舌背(舌圆环除外)和整个腹侧表面上有深色色素沉着。观察到两种类型的丝状乳头,额外的,甚至在他们的基地有6-8个预测。圆形菌形乳头以更高的密度存在,在舌尖的腹侧区域上,最高可达16/cm2。圆形和细长的瓣膜乳头在舌体和舌根之间以两条平行线排列。在其瓣膜的上皮内检测到许多味蕾,而真菌状乳头的味蕾稀疏。注意到缺乏叶状乳头。非常小的圆锥形乳头,一些透镜状的形状,出现在语言圆环上。在舌乳头的结缔组织中,I型胶原纤维比III型胶原纤维占优势。舌腺中粘液腺泡单位占优势,表明霍加皮舌腺的分泌主要是粘液。在许多方面,霍加皮的舌头类似于其他反刍动物的舌头。特定的舌面形状和舌面,连同舌腺,支持植物食品的加工,如幼嫩柔软的叶子。尽管与其他反刍动物相比,霍加皮舌的特征是圆锥形乳头较小,它的高数量的Vallate乳头与其他浏览器中的相似,中间和放牧者。因此,味觉乳头的数量表明该特征与进食类型无关。
The aim of this study was to describe the morphology of the tongue of the okapi, and to compare the results with other ruminants including browsers, intermediates and grazers. The material was collected post-mortem from two animals from a Zoological Garden. The structure of the okapi tongue, focusing of the shape of the tongue, lingual surface, its papillae and lingual glands, was examined using gross morphology, light and polarized microscopy, and by scanning electron microscopy. The okapi tongue was characterized by dark pigmentation on the lingual dorsum (except lingual torus) and on the whole ventral surface. Two types of filiform papillae were observed, with additional, even 6-8 projections at their base. The round fungiform papillae were present at a higher density, up to 16/cm2, on the ventro-lateral area of the lingual apex. Round and elongate vallate papillae were arranged in two parallel lines between the body and root of the tongue. Numerous taste buds were detected within the epithelium of their vallum, while fungiform papillae had sparse taste buds. A lack of foliate papillae was noted. Very small conical papillae, some lenticular in shape, were present on the lingual torus. Thick collagen type I fibers were dominant over collagen type III fibers in the connective tissue of the lingual papillae. The mucous acini units were dominant among lingual glands, indicating that the secretion of okapi lingual glands was mostly mucous. In many aspects, the tongue of okapi resembles the tongue of other ruminants. The specific lingual shape and lingual surface, together with the lingual glands, support the processing of plant food, such as young and soft leaves. Although okapi tongue is characterized by smaller conical papillae compared to other ruminants, its high number of vallate papillae is similar that found in other browsers, intermediate and grazers. Thus the number of gustatory papillae rather indicates that this feature is not related to the type of feeding.