Scientific Research and Essay Vol. 4 (1), pp. 013-017, January, 2009 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/SRE ISSN 1992-2248 © 2009 Academic Journals Full Length research Paper Partial septate uterus and tubal implantation: a normal phenomenon in the Eidolon helvum Samson A. Odukoya 1 * , Olusola A. Adeeyo 2 , David A. Ofusori 3 , Oladele A. Ayoka 4 , Oladele P. Oluwayinka 5 , Adebayo J. Akinyeye 6 , Gideon B. Ojo 1 , Adeola E. Ashamu 2 and Layi S. Babatunde 2 1 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria. 2 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria. 3 Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. 4 Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. 5 Department of Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. 6 Department of Environmental Science, School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, Nigeria. Accepted 12 December, 2008 The aim of the study was to investigate the macro and micro-anatomical adaptations in the uterus and the type and nature of implantation found in Eidolon helvum. A total of thirty pregnant bats sampled from Obafemi Awolowo University Campus were used in this study. They were harvested and sacrificed by cervical dislocation after being carefully assessed and confirmed to be presumably healthy. Abdominopelvic incisions were made on the bats to expose and excise their uteri. The uteri were observed macroscopically while some were fixed in 10% formol saline and processed for routine Heamatoxylin and eosine (H&E) staining procedure and Verhoeff-van Giesson’s stain. It was observed that the uterus of E. helvum possesses a partial septum that divides the uterine cavity into two compartments also; the lateral end of either of the uterine limbs was always enlarged or distended more than the other. As the dormant zygote began to develop in either of the uterine limbs, it grew lateromedially causing the particular limb to distend gradually towards the midline of the body. The uterine body did not participate in any way in carrying the developing fetus till term. Tubal implantation- a pathologic condition in some mammals was also observed to be natural in E. helvum. Thus, the presence of partial septate uterus and tubal implantation being a normal phenomenon in the E. helvum shows its primitiveness as a mammal. Key words: Uterine limbs, uterine body, tubal implantation, partial septate uterus, Eidolon helvum. INTRODUCTION Eidolon helvum are fruit eating bats (Ogunbiyi and Okon, 1976; Okon, 1977) and exist in roosting colony at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. Their natural pos- ture (up-side-down) makes it a unique mammal (Kingdon, *Corresponding author. E-mail: davidofus234@yahoo.com. Tel : +2348036153842. 1974; Okon, 1974). It is often recognized that repro-ductive periods of Frugivorous bats are closely linked to and may be triggered by peaks of fruit abundance (Bonaccorso, 1998; Dinerstein, 1986; Faria, 1995). They also exhibit the phenomenon of sperm storage and delayed fertilization and/or delayed implanttation, sometimes due to alter- nation or intermittent periodic development of the male and female gonads per season. There is a delay in the implantation of the embryo in most, but not all, popula-