A case of fused thoracic vertebrae, and lumbar vertebrae, sacrum and ilium of African elephant (Loxodonta africana) were fused one another partially

Kim, Chong-sup; Won, Chung-kil; Cho, Gyu-hen; Cho, Kyu-woan; Park, Joong-suk; Rho, Gyu-jin

Korean Journal of Veterinary Research 2002;42(2):131-136.

Chong-sup Kim¹, Chung-kil Won¹, Gyu-hen Cho¹, Kyu-woan Cho², Joong-suk Park³, Gyu-jin Rho¹

¹Institute of Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University
²College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungnam National University
³Division of Life Science Biology Major, College of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University

아프리카코끼리(Loxodonta africana)의 흉추골유합과 요추골, 천골 및 장골이 유합된 1례

김종섭¹, 원청길¹, 조규현¹, 조규완², 박중석³, 노규진¹

¹경상대학교 수의과대학, 동물학연구소
²충남대학교 수의과대학
³경상대학교 자연과학대학 생명과학부

Abstract

The vertebrae of female African elephant (Loxodonta africana) of twenty-eight years old were observed macroscopically. The result was summarized as follows; the vertebral formula of African elephant was $C_7$ $T_{21}$ $L_3$ $S_4$ $Cd_{21}$. The total length of the vertebral column removed intervertebreal disks was 353 cm. The length of each segment of vertebral column was 44 cm in cervical, 142 cm in thoracic, 21 cm in lumbar, 27 cm in sacral and 119 cm in caudal vertebrae. The 17th and 18th thoracic vertebrae (T) were partially fused each other in four parts: the transverse processes of 17th and 18th T, caudal articular process of 17th T and cranial articular process of 18th T, left mammilary process of 18th T and left transverse process of 17th T, and vertebral arch of 17th and 18th T, respectively. Others partial fusions also observed among the third luwbar, sacrum and ilium. These were in between transverse process of third lumbar vertebra and cranial parts of wing of sacrum, lateral part of sacrum and tuber sacrale, respectively. The sternum was consisted of three pieces; one is a part of anterior prestemum, two is the part from caudal demifacet at second facet to cranial demifacet at third facet in middle mesosternum, which is divided vertically into an half at second and third facets, respectively, and the last is the part between caudal demifacet of third facet in middle mesosternum and the posterior xiphisternum. There are 21 pairs of ribs, six sternal, ten asternal ribs and the last five being floating ribs.

Key Words: African elephant, osteology, vertebral fusion