The Morphology of the Brain Base Arteries in the Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

ABSTRACT
This study was aimed at determining the vascular structure of the brain base arteries in the sparrowhawk. For this purpose, ten hawks were used. Latex injection method was applied to the materials. After careful dissection, the brain base arteries were investigated. The right and left internal carotid arteries were present in all of the samples. The cerebral carotid arteries were located in the sphenoid bone. The right and left cerebral carotid arteries formed an intercarotid anastomosis, placed ventro-caudal to the hypophysis. This anastomosis was a side-to-side anastomosis in a ‘X’ shape. Both the right and left caudal branches of cerebral carotid artery developed the basilar artery. The rostral branch was a continuity of the cerebral carotid artery latero-rostrally in the way of the ventral surface of the cerebral hemisphere. The rostral branch gave off the caudal cerebral artery, the dorsal tectal mesencephalic artery, the middle cerebral artery, the cerebroethmoidal artery, the rostral cerebral artery and the ethmoidal artery, during its course. It was hoped that our study will increase knowledge regarding the structural data on exotic birds since the literature relating to this species specific vascular anatomy in wild birds is lacking.

Keywords: Brain base arteries; Intercarotid anastomose; Morphology; Sparrowhawk.
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