Origens e distribuições dos nervos supra-escapular, subescapulares cranial e caudal e toracodorsal do tamanduá-bandeira (Myrmecophaga tridactyla Linnaeus, 1758)

Abstract

The giant anteater, Myrmecophagidae representative of the family, has a wide geographic distribution and is threatened with extinction due to their habits of life and human occupation, which is restricting its area of life. This study aimed to describe the origins and distributions of nerves suprascapular, subscapular and thoracodorsal cranial and caudal in giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). We used three adult specimens, one female and two males, weighing approximately 40 kg, fixed in formaldehyde solution 10%. In the three specimens studied the suprascapular nerve originated from the ventral rami of the sixth (C6) and seventh (C7) cervical spinal nerves and sent branches to the muscles supraspinatus and infraspinatus. Subscapular nerves cranial and caudal originated from the ventral rami of the sixth (C6) and seventh (C7) cervical spinal nerves and distributed to the subscapularis muscle and teres major muscle. The thoracodorsal nerve originated in the ventral rami of the sixth (C6), seventh (C7) and eighth (C8) and first cervical spinal nerves (T1) thoracic spinal nerve, and sent branches to the latissimus dorsi muscle.