Pre-elastic (oxytalan) fibres in the developing elastic cartilage of the external ear of the rat.

During chondrogenesis in the external ear of the rat oxytalan fibres precede the appearance of mature elastic fibres by 6-7 days. The spatial distribution of oxytalan fibres in fetal and neonatal pre-cartilage corresponds to that of the elastic fibres in mature cartilage. These findings support the hypothesis that oxytalan fibres in the pre-cartilage of the external ear of the rat are pre-elastic in nature.