{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,2]],"date-time":"2026-01-02T17:29:26Z","timestamp":1767374966392,"version":"3.37.3"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,9,6]],"date-time":"2018-09-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1536192000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":5,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Morphology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>Several muroid rodent species are distributed throughout southern Africa. Some species are reportedly classified as opportunistic omnivorous rodents consuming plant, seed, and insect material. This study aims to provide a detailed morphometric analysis of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of four such omnivorous species, including stomach content analysis. Fixed GIT specimens (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20095 of each) of <jats:italic>Rhabdomys dilectus<\/jats:italic> (Mesic four\u2010striped grass mouse)<jats:italic>,<\/jats:italic> <jats:italic>Rhabdomys pumilio<\/jats:italic> (Xeric four\u2010striped grass mouse), <jats:italic>Aethomys chrysophilus<\/jats:italic> (Red rock rat), and <jats:italic>Lemniscomys rosalia<\/jats:italic> (Single\u2010striped grass mouse) were weighed. Length and circumference measurements of each anatomically distinct GIT region were determined to calculate the basal surface area (BSA). Histological sections from each GIT region were used to calculate a surface enlargement factor (SEF). The BSA and SEF were multiplied to calculate the luminal surface area (LSA) of each GIT region. Stomach content was analyzed both macroscopically and histologically. All species had a similar GIT morphology, namely a unilocular, hemiglandular stomach with a clear limiting ridge, which indicated the transition from stratified squamous epithelium to glandular epithelium. A large loosely spiralled cecum was present in all species. A narrowing of the cecal apex accompanied by lymph aggregates, confirmed histologically in both <jats:italic>Rhabdomys<\/jats:italic> species, indicated a cecal appendix. A single short colonic loop with a unique folding pattern for each species was present in the proximal colon. The colonic mucosal surface presented with proximal V\u2010shaped, and distal longitudinal folds. Intermediate transitional S\u2010shaped folds were present in three species (<jats:italic>R. dilectus, R. pumilio<\/jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>L. rosalia<\/jats:italic>). Colonic mucosal folds indicated hindgut specialization similar to other muroid rodents. The hindgut specialization was further supported by morphometric analysis, which indicated large BSA and LSA measurements in the cecum and colon. These adaptations are consistent with herbivory, despite stomach content analysis revealing omnivorous tendencies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/jmor.20856","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,9,6]],"date-time":"2018-09-06T11:46:32Z","timestamp":1536234392000},"page":"1282-1289","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Morphometric analysis of the gastrointestinal tract of four African muroid rodent species (<i>Rhabdomys dilectus<\/i>, <i>Rhabdomys pumilio<\/i>, <i>Aethomys chrysophilus<\/i>, and <i>Lemniscomys rosalia<\/i>)"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"279","author":[{"given":"Zaskia","family":"Henke","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Division of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Biomedical Sciences Stellenbosch University  Cape Town South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6854-6996","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lauren","family":"Sahd","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Division of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Biomedical Sciences Stellenbosch University  Cape Town South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sonja","family":"Matthee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Private bag X1 Stellenbosch University  Stellenbosch South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0853-2178","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sanet H.","family":"Kotz\u00e9","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Division of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Biomedical Sciences Stellenbosch University  Cape Town South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,9,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_7_2_1","first-page":"173","article-title":"Vergleichend\u2010und funktionell\u2010 anatomische Untersuchungen am caecum und colon myomorpher Nagetiere","volume":"186","author":"Behmann H.","year":"1973","journal-title":"Zeitschrift f\u00fcr Wissenschaftliche Zoologie"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_3_1","first-page":"33","article-title":"Comparative aspects of digestion in the hindgut of mammals. 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