The sublingua and tongue of Tupaia (Scandentia, Mammalia): a scanning electron microscope study.

The surface morphology of the tongue and the sublingua in Tupaia belangeri was examined both under the dissection microscope and with the scanning electron microscope. Shape and structural differentiation of the sublingua and the anterior ventral part of the tongue are described. Special types of papillae were found on the lingual segment of the keel, along the serrated edges of the sublingua, and at the apex linguae. The findings are discussed with respect to the special conformation of the oral cavity of Tupaia and in relation to the evolutionary and functional significance of the tongue and the sublingua in this species.