FROM ANATOMY TO ANGIOSCOPY - 164 YEARS OF CROCODILIAN CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH, RECENT ADVANCES, AND SPECULATIONS

This paper present: a synthesis of current research on the crocodilian cardiovascular system with a view to encourage discussion and debate about the intricacies of this unique system and to provide ideas and s uggestions for future studies. Innovative experimental approaches comb ined with new technologies have helped to resolve the complex flow and pressure patterns observed during non-shunting conditions that predom inate in resting instrumented animals and during pulmonary to systemic shunting, which has been observed to occur spontaneously and during d iving. The mechanisms and structures that may induce and regulate shun ting are presented and the functional significance of a pulmonary to s ystemic shunt is discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.