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Vascular and Lymphatic Circulation of the American Alligator Phallus
Author(s) -
Kelly Diane,
Mascari Taylor,
Hamilton Alexandra,
Moore Brandon
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.lb35
Subject(s) - american alligator , alligator , anatomy , phallic stage , biology , lymphatic system , phallus (fungus) , cloaca , zoology , male genitalia , psychology , paleontology , psychoanalysis , immunology
Crocodilian phalluses are unusual because, unlike most amniote phalluses that inflate and stiffen as part of copulation, most of this organ is comprised of dense collagenous tissue that does not change size or shape during muscular‐driven phallic eversion. Despite this, phallus tissues adjacent to the sperm conducting sulcus (urethral groove) and associated with the glans do inflate before copulation. To determine how blood is supplied to both inflatory and noninflatory phallic tissues, we examined the vascularization of cloacal and phallic tissues of the American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis ) using dissection, histology, digital tracing and 3D modeling of tissues in thick cloacal sections, in conjunction with CT scans of contrast‐enhanced circulatory fluid in sedated animals. We found that most vascularization in this region was limited to the cloacal walls and the tissue associated with the sulcus; no significant blood flow was observed in the densely collagenous part of the phallus. We also identified a pair of paralymphatic bodies near the proximal end of the phallus connected to lymphatic elements that extend distally into the sulcal tissues. We propose that these tissues are homologous to the paralymphatic bodies instrumental for phallus inflation in ratites; however, it is not yet known whether lymphatic fluid is involved in sulcus inflation in crocodilians. Research supported in part by an NSF EPSCoR RII award via the Louisiana Board of Regents Pfund.