COMPARATIVE ANATOMY OF WILD ANIMALS: MORPHOFUNCTIONAL STUDY

Coordinator: MONICA RODRIGUES FERREIRA MACHADO

Research on the comparative anatomy of vertebrates aims to describe variations in form among animal groups and, above all, to provide an evolutionary perspective on the structures and functions of the vertebrate body. Descriptions of the morphology and topography of animal body structures may contribute to clinical and surgical procedures, as well as support discussions of a comparative and evolutionary nature. The anatomy of some wild species still remains a gap to be explored. Several species of fish, reptiles, birds and mammals were donated by different means and currently comprise the collection of the Human and Comparative Anatomy Laboratory. The objective of this work is to describe the functional anatomy of these wild animals and provide a comparative perspective. The following procedures will be carried out for morphological investigation: dissection, histological and histochemical procedures with fragments of various organs stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin, P.A.S., Masson's Trichome, Nissl, Golgi-Cox and scanning electron microscopy. After data collection, knowing the objective of the investigation, the appropriate statistical analysis will be applied. It is expected that this investigation will provide data for comparative anatomy of wild animals, mainly with the objective of enhancing the use of resources already present in the laboratory and previously intended for research. The descriptions will also guide comparative studies with other species that are part of the same order or family, which share similar morphological characteristics.