Observations on the pituitary gland of some members of the suborder Suiformes (Mammalia: Artiodactyla)

Abstract

The macroscopical and microscopical anatomy of the pituitary gland of the warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) is described and compared with that of the Vietnam pig (a domestic race of Sus scrofa). The glands of the two animals differ considerably in shape but agree in anatomical details. The morphological and histochemical characteristics of cells of the pars distalis are described in the warthog, bush pig (Potamochoerus porcus), Vietnam pig (all members of the family Suidae) and hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius: Hippopotamidae). Close agreement was found between five cell types of the warthog and bush pig and the corresponding cell types in the domestic pig. The mucoid cells of the less closely related hippopotamus differed from those of the domestic pig in some morphological details.

Cytology of the pituitary gland of the Plains viscacha (Lagostomus maximu)

“…Application of this method to the viscacha pituitary and those of other species (unpublished observations) has confirmed the validity of this method as a pituitary stain. Furthermore it was found that the type 1 cells can be specifically stained by luxol fast blue in the LB/PAS/OG method (Plate V (b)), an observation similar to those made in other species (mink-Weman, 1970; some members of Suiformes - Allanson, 1971 ; leaf-nosed bats -Patil, 1974). In addition to the above reason, the type 1 cells were distinguished as somatotrophs and the type 2 as prolactin cells since the former display no differences in size and frequency between immature, mature, pregnant or lactating animals, whereas the latter were apparently larger and more numerous in the pregnant and lactating females examined (see Table 111).…”

Paleoneurology of Artiodactyla, an Overview of the Evolution of the Artiodactyl Brain

“…This is not the case for other modern suid genera, which have only been partly documented (Anthony and Grzybowski 1931). The external morphology of the brain of modern Tayassuidae is also described in very few works (Krueg 1878;Allanson 1971;Saraiva 2017). To our knowledge, there is no documentation of a fossil suoid endocast in the literature.…”