On the morphology of antlers in marals of the Altai middle mountains

The aim of research is to investigate the morphological features of the antler tissues of the Altai-Sayan maral breed. Objectives: to study the external anatomical features of the structure and development of antlers; to identify the main zones and layers in the structure of the tops and trunks of maral antlers; to study the microstructure of the pantogenic zones, the pathways of antler chondrogenesis and osteogenesis. The material for the study was taken during antler cutting in the farms of the Altai Republic and the Altai Region. Using special and classical morphological techniques, various layers of the tops and trunks of maral antlers were studied: skin, transition layer and medulla. Skin complexes are practically un-derdeveloped, since there are no sweat glands and connective tissue capsule. Sebaceous glands are very well developed in the dermis. High polymorphism of structural elements is noted in each layer. Active growth zones are revealed in the cartilaginous tissue and medulla. Complex vascular plexuses and rela-tionships in the vascularization of antlers are noted. During the development of the horn, perichondral and endochondral ossifications are observed. The growth of bone-cartilaginous structures occurs according to the terminal type. In the medulla (spongy) substance, less differentiated cells are localized in the distal parts, and more mature cells are located in the proximal parts. In marals, the medulla contains a signifi-cantly larger number of nuclear elements, which is one of the factors of the high biological activity of the antlers of these animals. By the onset of the rut, the antlers of marals are completely mineralized. The histogenesis of maral antlers goes through a complex system of tissue changes that occur as a result of the proliferation and differentiation of the antlers' panthogenic cells. The new data obtained expand and supplement the information on the antler morphology of the deer family available in domestic and foreign literature and can be taken into account when cutting antlers.