Tenrec ecaudatus (Schreber, 1778)

ASHER, ROBERT J., 2001, Cranial Anatomy in Tenrecid Insectivorans: Character Evolution Across Competing Phylogenies, American Museum Novitates 3352, pp. 1-55 : 37-38

Tenrec ecaudatus (ZIUT, HL 20 mm; fig. 32)

Posteriorly, the vomeronasal organ and paraseptal cartilages extend to the upper canines. The vomeronasal organ itself measures approximately 1.5 mm in length. This makes up 14% of nasal fossa length (10.2 mm) and 7.5% of head length (20 mm). Several small blood vessels are apparent running parallel to the vomeronasal organ.

The paraseptal cartilage lies medial to the vomeronasal organ along its entire length and does not exhibit a complete outer bar laterally (fig. 32). The vomeronasal ducts are narrow, anterior continuations of each vomeronasal organ tube, emptying into the nasopalatine canal at a point well­separated from the nasal fossa (slice 7.5.1). A large palatine papilla is evident medial to the nasopalatine ducts as they open into the oral cavity.

A nasopalatine duct cartilage is present lateral to the nasopalatine ducts and is connected to both the paraseptal cartilage dorsomedially and the ‘‘nasopalatine duct’’ cartilage medially (slice 8.2.4; fig. 33). Kuhn (1971: 30) noted that confusion exists regarding the definitions of the ‘‘palatine’’ and ‘‘nasopalatine duct’’ cartilages; in some taxa (including Tenrec ), the two are continuous anteriorly. As defined in previous studies (e.g., Maier, 1980), they are at least distinguishable posteriorly; the palatine cartilage exists lateral, and the nasopalatine duct cartilage medial, to the nasopalatine duct itself.

Anterior to the nasopalatine canal is the inferior septal ridge, supported medially by the superior arm of the anterior transverse lamina and containing olfactory epithelium (slice 6.1.1). The medial arm of the anteriormost paraseptal cartilage has a narrow connection with the anterior transverse lamina. The connection between the nasal septum, floor, and sidewall in Tenrec is constricted, but present, at the point just anterior to the premaxilla and where the nasolacrimal duct enters the nasal fossa (slice 4.4.5).

A feature of the external nose that Tenrec shares with Setifer is the abrupt inferior extension of the anterior nasal floor, greatly enlarging the surface area available for olfactory epithelium in the anterior nose (slice 5.3.1). In Tenrec , the narrow superior alar processes originate from this ventrally extended nasal floor, and show no commissura alicupularis connecting them to the anterior nasal cupulae.