Species placentation
Keywords: placentation, placenta, species, comparative, anatomy
Image size: 1000 x 1375px
An amalgam of images showing the gross anatomy of the placentas of various domestic species. All of these occur in the domestic animals but many other forms occur in other animals. For example, primates and humans have a discoid type of placentation; more intimate than any in domestic animals.
In image A, a multiplex type placenta is illustrated. In this case, it is the placenta of a ewe; similar to that of a cow (seen in image B) with subtle differences.
Image C from a neonatal calf, shows that the sites of the caruncles are established very early in the life.
Image D shows the zonary placenta of a dog; similar to that of a cat, shown in image E.
The placentas in F, G and H are all diffuse in character: Image F shows the placenta of a piglet, G the placenta of a foal and H, the placenta of a Llama, a new world camelid. Interestingly (although they are similar to ruminants) all of the camelids have diffuse placentas, not the multiplex type of placentas that one finds in domestic ruminants.