Comparative Anatomy and Evolution of the Cardiac Innervation in New World Monkeys (Platyrrhini, E. Geoffroy, 1812)

Abstract

The morphology of the autonomic cardiac nervous system (ACNS) was examined in 24 sides of 12 New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) of all four families to document the morphology systematically and to study the evolutionary changes of the ACNS in this primate lineage. We report the following: (1) Although several trivial intra-and inter-specific variations are present, a family-dependent morphology of the ACNS does not exist in New World monkeys. (2) The sympathetic ganglia in New World monkeys consist of the superior cervical, the middle cervical, and the cervicothoracic which is composed of the inferior cervical and first and second thoracic, and the thoracic ganglia starting with the third thoracic. The general cardiac nervous system is the sympathetic middle and inferior cardiac nerves and all parasympathetic vagal cardiac branches. (3) The morphology of the ACNS in the New World monkeys is almost consistent regardless of the number of vertebrae, the cardiac position and deviation (axis), and the great arterial branching pattern of the aortic arch, and it is very similar to that in the Old World monkeys, with only one difference: the superior cervical ganglion in the New World monkeys tends to be relatively smaller, higher, and provides a narrower contribution to the spinal nerves than in the Old World monkeys. The ACNS morphology exhibits significant evolutionary changes within the primate lineage from New and Old World monkeys to humans. The comparative morphology within the lineage is concordant with the phylogeny, suggesting that the primate ACNS preserves its evolutionary history in close alignment with phylogeny. Anat Rec, 292:670-691, 2009. V V C 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Systematic and comparative morphologies of the extrinsic cardiac nervous system in lemurs (Primates: Strepsirrhini: Infraorder Lemuriformes, Gray, 1821) with evolutionary morphological implications

“…As has been mentioned in our previous studies (Kawashima and Thorington, 2011;Kawashima et al, 2009), the ECNS morphology in lemurs is consistent, with only a trivial variation regardless of the family, in the number of presacral vertebrae, and the cardiac position and axis. However, the middle cervical ganglion is situated lower than the cervicothoracic ganglion and associated with the lower positions of the heart, aortic arch and its great arteries in ring-tailed and ruffed lemurs.…”

“…Although the first author dissected a spider monkey (Ateles ater = Ateles paniscus), crab-eating macaque (Cercopithecus cynomolgus = Macaca cynomolgus), sacred baboon (Cynocephalus hamadryas = Papio hamadryas), white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar), and orangutan (Pongo sp. ), all his findings did not show the general morphology, in contrast to our detailed examinations using numerous specimens (Kawashima, 2011;Kawashima et al, , 2008Kawashima et al, , 2009). In the present study, we examined 18 sides of nine lemurs including all four families so as to determine the general morphology of ECNS in lemurs.…”

“…The definitions and terminologies that we used for the autonomic cardiac nervous system are a modification of those used by Fukuyama (1982) (for details see Kawashima, 2011;Kawashima et al, 2009). The terminologies used for the somatic structures followed those used in previous publications by Jouffroy (1962), El-Assy (1965-66), Stevens et al (1981), Dunlap et al (1985), and Kawashima and Thorington (2011).…”

“…In other words, the comparative anatomical findings of the wide variations in ECNS in the four families of Lemuriformes compared with lower variations in the two families of Lorisiformes possibly, correspond to the Kawashima and Thorington (2011) and present study. B: New World monkeys (Platyrrhini), Kawashima et al (2009). C: Old World monkeys (Cercopithecidae), .…”

Anatomy of the cardiac nervous system with clinical and comparative morphological implications

“…Detailed architecture of the cardiac plexus, including intrapericardial cardiac ganglia in the nerves of venous parts and cardiac base, was reported using a histochemical staining of the entire human heart by Pauza et al (2000). Their results describing the location of the cardiac ganglia corresponded with our human and nonhuman primate results regarding the cardiac nerve/plexus (Kawashima and Sasaki 2008;Kawashima et al , 2009. Therefore, differences between the arterial and venous nerve groups were confirmed and agreed in all the above observations.…”