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Jaw musculature of the M eiglyptini ( A ves: P iciformes: Picidae)
Author(s) -
Donatelli Reginaldo J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
acta zoologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.414
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1463-6395
pISSN - 0001-7272
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-6395.2012.00568.x
Subject(s) - biology , protractor , insectivore , adductor muscles , anatomy , genus , zoology , ecology , engineering drawing , engineering , predation
The M eiglyptini comprise eight species of woodpeckers grouped into three genera, two of which contain three species ( M eiglyptes and M ulleripicus ), while one genus includes two species ( H emicircus ). The purpose of this study is to describe the mandibular apparatus found in six species of M eiglyptini and to compare them with each other and with other woodpecker species. The results reveal a number of structures that are worth mentioning: (i) the components of the external mandibular adductor system of H emicircus concretus , particularly the M . adductor mandibulae externus caudalis medialis , are underdeveloped compared with the other investigated species; (ii) the muscles of the internal mandibular system are structurally different among M eiglyptes species and are less developed, both in size and in structure, in H . concretus ; (iii) the M . protractor quadrati is vestigial in M eiglyptes species; (iv) the muscles of the protractor system of the quadrate are relatively undeveloped in H . concretus ; (v) most of the muscles of the pterygoideus system are structurally differentiated in M eiglyptes species. It appears that the complexity of the mandibular apparatus is associated with the type of food consumed, as the apparatus of the frugivorous species H . concretus is markedly different from that of the insectivorous species.