DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES ON THE NEUROCRANIUM OF HALCYON S. SMYRNENSIS (KING FISHER) ORDER CORACIIFORMES: 1- EARLY STAGES

Document Type : Original Research Papers

Authors

1 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha, Egypt

2 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt

Abstract

The present study concerned with three early developmental stages of Halcyon s. smyrnensis which aredisclosed that the basal plate has a prior appearance than that of the acrochordal cartilage; each of the basal plate and the acrochordal cartilage chondrifies from a separate center; lordosis phenomenon exists in the chondral region, the acrochordal cartilage, the pila antotica and the posterior orbital cartilage are chondrified from the same center; there are four occipital arches, which are located at the postero-lateral side of the basal plate; the auditory capsule is represented by the cochlear part only; and the two trabeculae cranii are the only elements in the prechordal region.

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