Study of the Morphology of Gustatory Lingual Papillae in Pan troglodytes by Scanning Electron Microscopy

  1. Mercedes Barbosa 1
  2. Félix De Paz 1
  3. Josep M. Potau 2
  4. Isabel San José 2
  5. Roberto Cabo 3
  6. José A. Vega 3
  7. J. Francisco Pastor 1
  1. 1 Universidad de Valladolid
    info

    Universidad de Valladolid

    Valladolid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/01fvbaw18

  2. 2 Universitat de Barcelona
    info

    Universitat de Barcelona

    Barcelona, España

    ROR https://ror.org/021018s57

  3. 3 Universidad de Oviedo
    info

    Universidad de Oviedo

    Oviedo, España

    ROR https://ror.org/006gksa02

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Actas:
5th Congress of the European Federation for Primatology

Editorial: Leiden Brill

ISSN: 0015-5713,  1421-9980

Año de publicación: 2013

Volumen: 84

Número: 3-5

Páginas: 245

Congreso: 5th Congress of the European Federation for Primatology

Tipo: Aportación congreso

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Resumen

The chimpanzee is the primate with the greatest resemblance to humans in feeding habits,since the herbivore part of its diet is complemented by proteins of animal origin from meat, insects, eggs and honey. There are five types of lingual papillae, two are mechanical (filiform andconical) and three gustatory (fungiform, foliate, and vallate). The latter are the objective of thepresent study, since the variety of foods that constitute the diet of chimpanzees suggests that tasteis very well developed. The tongues of five adult chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) that died in zoological parks from natural causes, 3 males and 2 females, were studied through scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM). Fungiform papillae are distributed among filiform ones throughout the surface of the tongue, and on its surface gustatory pores appear. Foliate papillae are located in theedges of the posterior third of the tongue and adopt the form of 4–6 parallel folds among whichgustatory pores are observed. Vallate papillae are located in the posterior third of the back of thetongue, their number and distribution is very variable, and they adopt ‘Y’ or ‘V’ shapes, generally asymmetric and of different sizes, in many cases with a double nucleus. Gustatory pores arelocated in the external wall of the median sulcus that separates the central nucleus from the per-iferic pad. In the base of the three types of papillae, secretory pores and microridges were ob-served. Overall, the three types of papillae studied are very similar in morphology and distribution to those described in other primate species, including humans.