The spleen of the armadillo: lessons of organ adaptation

EMMA BEATRIZ CASANAVE; ELENA J. GALINDEZ

Biology of the Xenarthra

Univ. press of Florida .

Lugar: Florida; Año: 2008; p. 120 - 125

Armadillos, members of an ancient mammalian order, show an adaptive spleen, exhibiting a mixture of primitive and derived morphological and physiological features, resulting in a storage organ with a well-developed immunocompetent compartment and hemopoietically active tissue. This complex structure is discussed in relation with other mammalian groups and in a biological context.