The skin structure of greater rhea (Rheidae, Palaeognathae)

PICASSO MBJ; MARIO RC; BARBEITO CG

ACTA ZOOLOGICA

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2015

0001-7272

The aim of this study was to describe the histological structure of the skin of greaterrhea (Rhea americana), a ratite bird native to South America. Skin samples weretaken from three regions of the trunk (alar, dorsal and pelvic) in 14 specimens whichages ranged from seven days to adulthood. Serial sections were obtained andsubjected to different staining procedures (hematoxylin and eosin, orcein, Masson?strichrome and Gomori) and a morphometric analysis was carried out on stainedslides. In general, both epidermis and dermis showed increased thickness of its layerswith age. Some differences between regions can be detected both in epidermis anddermis, as example, in adults and 7-day-old birds, the stratum corneum of the alarregion was thicker than of the dorsal region. In general, the skin of greater rhea wassimilar to that described in ratites and other birds (a thin epidermis compared todermis, dermis with scarce elastic fibres, a slender and vascularized stratumsuperficiale, collagen fibres arranged in three directions). The scarcity of elastic fibresand the general cross-weaved arrangement of the collagen fibres in the dermis of theadult greater rhea provide strength and flexibility to the dermis, two importantfeatures in leather industry.