Yoshida M, Motokawa M, Endo H. Osteological and vascular morphology and electrolyte homeostasis of sea turtles.
J Vet Med Sci 2022;
84:1001-1009. [PMID:
35650112 PMCID:
PMC9353092 DOI:
10.1292/jvms.21-0624]
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Abstract
Sea turtles have well developed lacrimal glands for their electrolyte homeostasis. In turtles, stapedial artery and palatine artery send branches to supply orbital region, but supply artery
for lacrimal glands was not identified. Micro-CT scans showed dorsoventrally large lacrimal glands of sea turtle are supplied by both stapedial artery and palatine artery. The circulatory
pattern in cranial region was reconstructed based on the micro-CT scans, showing that sea turtle has basically similar pattern with the common snapping turtle: stapedial artery supplies
orbital region and mandibular artery is ramified from stapedial artery. We also investigate the foramen stapedio-temporalis in turtles using osteological specimens. The
foramen stapedio-temporalis, where the stapedial artery passes through, has different size among four families of turtles. We compared the sum of cross sections of left
and right foramen stapedio-temporalis since homeostasis of one individual is maintained by a pair of lacrimal glands. The size difference may reflect primarily the share of
stapedial artery against palatine artery in cranial circulation pattern and blood supply of orbital regions. Our observations confirmed a significantly larger cross-section in the
foramen stapedio-temporalis of sea turtles than other freshwater/terrestrial turtles. Since the circulatory pattern is shared, the size difference of foramen
stapedio-temporalis reflects the amount of arterial blood supply to lacrimal glands. Therefore, the size of the foramen stapedio-temporalis may indicate marine
adaptation of turtles and are applicable to both fossil and osteological specimens.
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