Trigeminal nerve morphology in the American alligator : implications for infering sensory potential in extinct species [abstract]

Abstract

Among the many adaptations of modern crocodilians, one of the most intriguing is their derived sense of face touch, in which numerous trigeminal nerve-innervated dome pressure receptors speckle the face and mandible and sense vibrations and other mechanical stimuli, directing the animal towards, or away from stimuli. However, the morphological features of this system are not well known, and it remains unclear how aspects of the trigeminal system change during ontogeny and how they scale with other cranial and nervous structures.