In this paper Luke Barlow, Emi Nomura and Abigail Tucker examined the embryonic development of the medial pterygoid plate, a structure that supports the soft palate and helps stiffen it. This is key in producing a posterior seal in the oral cavity to allow suckling behaviours in mammals.
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Through the use of mutants, they showed that the secondary cartilage has a role in guiding the tensor veli palatini and facilitating suckling. This provides new insight into how coordinated tissue interactions underpin the function of the mammalian feeding apparatus.Ā
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They show that the pterygoid plate is formed from two distinct developmental processes (membranous and endochondral ossification) and that it is composed entirely of neural crest.
This study broadens our understanding of the embryonic development of a significant part of mammal evolution.
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