Table 2.
Cutaneous and pulmonary morphometrical data of neonates from 10 marsupial species, of the newly hatched platypus and of the neonate golden hamster
| Specimen No. | Entire skin thickness, μm | Dermal thickness, μm | Epidermal thickness, μm | Stratum corneum thickness, μm | Diffusion distance, μm | Volume density of capillaries in the skin, Vvc | Area of the gas exchange surface per unitary lung volume, Sv (g.e.s., lung), cm−1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dasyururs viverrinus | MS 138 | 33 ± 1 | 26 ± 1 | 6 ± 0 | 2 ± 0 | 9 ± 0 | 0.26 ± 0.03 | 108.79 ± 4.03 |
| MS 138(B) | 31 ± 1 | 24 ± 1 | 7 ± 0 | 2 ± 0 | 10 ± 1 | 0.33 ± 0.05 | 112.82 ± 14.10 | |
| MS134 | 44 ± 1 | 38 ± 1 | 5 ± 0 | 2 ± 0 | 7 ± 0 | 0.44 ± 0.04 | 60.44 ± 4.03 | |
| MS134(B) | 36 ± 1 | 27 ± 1 | 6 ± 0 | 2 ± 0 | 10 ± 0 | 0.29 ± 0.02 | 84.62 ± 9.40 | |
| Mean | 36 ± 3 | 29 ± 3 | 6 ± 0 | 2 ± 0 | 9 ± 1 | 0.33 ± 0.04 | 91.67 ± 12.13 | |
| Monodelphis domestica | 337 | 63 ± 2 | 39 ± 2 | 21 ± 1 | 5 ± 0 | 38 ± 1 | 0.12 ± 0.00 | 130.26 ± 11.96 |
| Trichosurus vulpecula | MS288 | 107 ± 6 | 90 ± 5 | 14 ± 0 | 6 ± 0 | 33 ± 1 | 0.11 ± 0.01 | 137.50 ± 24.68 |
| MS289 | 84 ± 1 | 58 ± 1 | 23 ± 1 | 11 ± 0 | 39 ± 1 | 0.16 ± 0.02 | 148.28 ± 15.31 | |
| MS290 | 76 ± 2 | 55 ± 2 | 17 ± 0 | 6 ± 0 | 40 ± 1 | 0.13 ± 0.02 | 148.33 ± 3.27 | |
| Mean | 89 ± 9 | 68 ± 11 | 18 ± 3 | 8 ± 2 | 37 ± 2 | 0.13 ± 0.01 | 144.70 ± 3.60 | |
| Isoodon obesulus | MS219 | 75 ± 2 | 54 ± 1 | 15 ± 0.4 | 4 ± 0 | 41 ± 2 | 0.11 ± 0.03 | n.a. |
| Perameles nasuta | MS482(A) | 76 ± 1 | 59 ± 1 | 14 ± 0 | 4 ± 0 | 50 ± 1 | 0.11 ± 0.01 | 178.88 ± 6.40 |
| MS216 | 118 ± 3 | 89 ± 3 | 24 ± 0 | 4 ± 0 | 84 ± 2 | 0.06 ± 0.01 | 166.12 ± 14.00 | |
| MS218 | 68 ± 2 | 49 ± 2 | 15 ± 0 | 4 ± 0 | 47 ± 1 | 0.13 ± 0.02 | 162.18 ± 7.05 | |
| Mean | 87 ± 16 | 66 ± 12 | 18 ± 3 | 4 ± 0 | 60 ± 12 | 0.10 ± 0.02 | 169.06 ± 5.04 | |
| Phascolarctos cinereus | MS351 | 126 ± 2 | 107 ± 2 | 15 ± 1 | 5 ± 0 | 50 ± 3 | 0.11 ± 0.02 | 231.64 ± 15.95 |
| MS352 | 110 ± 4 | 84 ± 3 | 16 ± 1 | 6 ± 0 | 38 ± 2 | 0.12 ± 0.03 | 170.34 ± 18.03 | |
| MS353 | 110 ± 3 | 84 ± 3 | 19 ± 1 | 4 ± 0 | 48 ± 3 | 0.09 ± 0.02 | 172.88 ± 19.58 | |
| Mean | 115 ± 5 | 92 ± 8 | 17 ± 1 | 5 ± 1 | 45 ± 4 | 0.11 ± 0.01 | 191.62 ± 20.02 | |
| Potorous tridactylus | MS492a | 83 ± 2 | 66 ± 2 | 14 ± 0 | 5 ± 0 | 35 ± 2 | 0.12 ± 0.02 | n.a. |
| Petrogale penicillata | MS484 | 110 ± 4 | 88 ± 3 | 19 ± 1 | 6 ± 0 | 36 ± 1 | 0.05 ± 0.01 | 236.22 ± 44.10 |
| MS448 | 119 ± 2 | 99 ± 2 | 17 ± 1 | 8 ± 0 | 40 ± 2 | 0.04 ± 0.01 | 201.26 ± 22.62 | |
| Mean | 115 ± 5 | 94 ± 6 | 18 ± 1 | 7 ± 1 | 38 ± 2 | 0.05 ± 0.01 | 218.74 ± 14.27 | |
| Thylogale thetidi | MS408 | 159 ± 3 | 127 ± 3 | 29 ± 1 | 4 ± 0 | 65 ± 2 | 0.07 ± 0.01 | n.a. |
| Macropus dorsalis | MS407 | 186 ± 6 | 171 ± 6 | 17 ± 1 | 6 ± 0 | 23 ± 1 | 0.07 ± 0.01 | 235.13 ± 24.45 |
| Ornithorhynchus anatinus | M44 | 75 ± 5 | 53 ± 4 | 19 ± 1 | 7 ± 0 | 47 ± 2 | 0.09 ± 0.02 | 135.09 ± 13.50 |
| Mesocricetus auratus | 14 | 243 ± 8 | 226 ± 9 | 21 ± 0 | 7 ± 0 | ‐ | ‐ | 321 ± 39.36 |
All values are means ± SEM.
For species in which more than one specimen was investigated, additional group means are presented. For better inter‐species comparison the values for the species (obtained from single specimen or group means) are highlighted bold.