Abstract
The African tree pangolin has no teeth but consumes a highly tough and chitinous diet while the bat is frugivorous; this study was designed to compare the morphological adaptations of the small intestine of both mammals by investigating the collagen distribution and hydroxyproline/collagen content of their duodenum and ileum histologically and spectrophotometrically respectively. Ten animals each of both sexes were used. Portions of their small intestine were either fixed for routine histologic processing or homogenized and assayed for the hydroxyproline assay. Histological staining reveal that the collagenous distribution of duodenal submucosa and support of the villus core of the ileum is more prominent in the Pangolin than in the Bat. Data from the hydroxyproline colorimetric assay reveals that the Pangolin has significantly (p = 0.00042) higher total collagen content than in the Bat. It is concluded that the Pangolin has evolved a higher expression and distribution of collagen in their small intestine as a mechanism of coping with their tough diets despite the lack of teeth.
Highlights
The mammalian gastrointestinal tract comprise parts observed to exhibit morphological modifications due to their peculiar functions (Sherwood, 2008; Stevens and Hume, 2004) and as a result, different parts of the mammalian gut are commonly adapted to suit the dietary requirements of the different species
The work of Chivers and Hladic (1980) on the morphology of the gastrointestinal tract in primates and comparison with other mammals in relation to diet revealed that the ratio of stomach and large intestine to small intestine are low in frugivores and high in folivores; the continuous spread of coefficients reflect the different degrees of adaptation of these two dietary extremes
A comparative demonstration of the duodenal mucosa of the Bat is thrown into folds Plicae Circulares (PCS) unlike in the Pangolin (Fig. 2A and 2B)
Summary
The mammalian gastrointestinal tract comprise parts observed to exhibit morphological modifications due to their peculiar functions (Sherwood, 2008; Stevens and Hume, 2004) and as a result, different parts of the mammalian gut are commonly adapted to suit the dietary requirements of the different species. These variations are specialized to suit the dietary requirements of the particular species (Hildebrand and Goslow, 2001). African fruit-bats are found at elevations from sea level to 2000 m They have been found in caves (Adeniyi et al, 2012; Akobi et al, 2012; Hayman et al, 2012; Ossa et al, 2012; Nowak, 1999)
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