Ethmoturbinal complexity matches large RelCP in African elephant; contrast between turbinal-rich elephant skull and turbinal-depauperate rock hyrax skull shown in CT scan images and 3D skull models.

Ethmoturbinal bones, which carry the olfactory epithelium, are unusually expansive in the African elephant (Loxodont africana). Quantifying turbinal area is beyond the scope of this paper, but here we visually contrast homologous cross-sections through the nasal chamber at the anterior-most extension of the CP in the elephant and its closest living relative, the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis), which has a relatively small CP. (a), Anterolateral view of elephant skull model. Orange plane: locale of image in image (b). Scale bar: 100 mm. (b), Coronal cross-section from CT scan of elephant nasal cavity. Scale bar: 20 mm. Blue: turbinal bones. Red: CP. (c), Hyrax skull model. Scale bar: 10 mm. Orange plane: locale of image in (d). (d), Coronal slice from CT scan of hyrax nasal cavity. Scale bar: 5 mm. Blue: turbinals. Red: CP. 3D models constructed with Mimics and 3-matic software from high-resolution CT scans.

携带嗅上皮（olfactory epithelium）的筛鼻甲骨（ethmoturbinal bones）在非洲象（Loxodont africana）中异常发达。量化鼻甲面积超出了本文的研究范畴，但本文通过视觉对比大象与现存最近近亲岩蹄兔（Procavia capensis）的鼻腔同源横截面，二者的截面位置均取于筛板（CP, cribriform plate）的最前延伸处，其中岩蹄兔的筛板相对较小。(a) 非洲象头骨模型的前外侧视图。橙色平面对应图(b)的成像区域。比例尺：100 mm。(b) 非洲象鼻腔CT扫描的冠状横截面。比例尺：20 mm。蓝色：筛鼻甲骨。红色：筛板（CP）。(c) 岩蹄兔头骨模型。比例尺：10 mm。橙色平面对应图(d)的成像区域。(d) 岩蹄兔鼻腔CT扫描的冠状切片。比例尺：5 mm。蓝色：鼻甲。红色：筛板（CP）。本研究的三维模型通过高分辨率CT扫描数据，采用Mimics及3-matic软件构建而成。