I. Morphology and Embryology of the Nasal Fossae of Vertebrates

Abstract

The nasal fossre are hollow cavities in the facial bones, of varying importance, depending upon whether the animal is water-breathing or air-breathing; in the first group they serve exclusively as organs of olfaction, in the second they constitute, in addition, special canals through which the inspired air passes in order to reach the pharynx and the bronchial tubes. •This translation is made with the approval of Professor Dieu-Ia:r~, and with the kind consent of M. Felix Alcan, publisher of the Journal de l'Anatomie et de la Physiologie Normales et Patholcglques de I'Homme et des Animaux. The translator feele that the high merit of Prof. Dieulafe's monograph and the absence of a similar work in English justify the effort here made to extend its sphere of usefulness.

Nasal Fossa of Mouse and Dwarf Lemurs (Primates, Cheirogaleidae)

“…In Microcebus, the frontal recess appears first (see Fig. 4b) in keeping with observations on other mammals by Dieulafe (1906). Subsequently, the shape of the lateral recess relates to the formation of the semicircular crest and differential growth of ethmoturbinal I as well as a region-specific outwardly folded paries nasi.…”

“…Numerous authors consider the next turbinal in the posterior direction to be the ventral lamina of ethmoturbinal I (Seydel, 1891;Moore, 1981;Maier, 1993a,b;see Table 2 for alternate terminologies). The basis for this terminology is that the two scrolls anchor to a common primary lamina (Dieulafe, 1906;Moore, 1981). More posteriorly, additional ethmoturbinals arise and project medially from the ventromedial margin of the posterior cupula (de Beer, 1937).…”

Significance of some previously unrecognized apomorphies in the nasal region of Homo neanderthalensis.

“…By comparison, in newborn Homo sapiens, the lacrimal groove is already partially roofed over, but the conchal crest, which arises as a series of irregularities during the second postnatal year, is not yet discernible. The maxillary sinus itself is not readily apparent in our species until the third or fourth year of life (12). Development of the features of the nasal fossa thus proceeded very differently in Neanderthals than in Homo sapiens, and the most striking characteristic of this region-the medial projection-became established very early in postnatal life.…”

Quantitative observations on the nasal epithelia and olfactory innervation in bats

“…Of the above authors, only Dieulafe [1905], Negus [1958], Gurtovoi [1966] and Adams [1972] compared olfactory epithelial surface area with total available area or respiratory surface areas. Negus [1958] and Gurtovoi [1966] suggested that increase in olfactory surface area should be accompanied by an increase of respiratory epithelium or parts of it (e.g.…”