The thyroid gland is not present at birth in marsupials and thyroid function begins during the latter half of pouch life. The hormonal output of the thyroid gland is important for normal development. In this study the structure of the lung, kidney and skin of the developing possum was examined and the structural development of these three organs was described. The lung of the newborn brushtail possum was functional and continued to develop during pouch life, alveolar formation beginning at day 39 and concluding at day 113 postpartum. The mesonephric kidneys of the newborn possum degenerated and were replaced by the metanephric kidneys, the nephrogenic zone of the metanephric kidney being present from 35 to 96 days postpartum. No new nephrons were formed after day 96. After the completion of nephrogenesis, the kidney increases in size through glomerular and tubular growth. The sequence of steps in the development of the possum skin was identical to that observed in other marsupials. The epidermis of the possum was thickest at 60 µm on about day 28 postpartum and as development proceeded the epidermis gradually decreased in thickness. A sparse number of primordia of hair follicles were observed at day 10 and the possum had a good covering of hair by day 129 postpartum. Correlation between the development of the lung, kidney and skin with the previously published plasma thyroxine concentration in the young possum suggests that thyroxine from the mother and from the young is important in the development of these three organs.

Background: The onset of thyriod function occurs at different times with respect to birth in different mammals. In most marsupials studied thus far, thyroid function begins during the latter half of pouch life. However, in marsupials, thyroxine can be transported from the mother to the young via milk. In this study the plasma concentration of the thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), in the young was correlated with the ultrastructural appearance of the thyroid of the young. Methods: Thyroid glands at 40, 65, 70, 96, 113, 115, and 129 days postpartum and from an adult were examined with the light and electron microscope. Plasma concentrations of both T4 and T3 in young possums were determined by radioimmunoassay. Results: Plasma concentrations of T4 in the young were less than 10 ng/ml prior to day 60 and 12 ng/ml on day 60; they rose to a peak of 45 ng/ml on day 120 postpartum and then diminished to below 10 ng/ml by day 160 postpartum. Plasma T3 concentrations were similar in profile, the peak concentration being 0.25 ng/ml on day 120 postpartum, and, as with T4, T3 concentrations decreased in the latter part of the lactation period. The morphology of the follicular cells of the thyroid gland would suggest that the developing brushtail possum is capable of producing thyroxine at about day 65 postpartum. Densely staining bodies, presumably lysosomes that are required for the conversion of thyroglobulin to thyroxine, were first seen on day 65, and greater quantities were noted in day 96, 113, 115, and 129 thyroid tissue. Conclusions: The plasma concentrations of T4 and T3 of the young are greater than that of the adult by day 60 postpartum, with peak concentrations of thyroid hormones on day 120 postpartum. Ultrastructural examination would suggest that the possum thyroid gland is capable of producing thyroid hormones at about day 65 postpartum. The activation of the thyroid gland precedes the reported increase in growth rate of the young possum on day 96 (Gemmell and Hendrikz, 1993. Aust. J. Zool., 41:141 – 149 ). © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.