Marine Mammal Science (2018)
...Milk protein composition likely varies between lactation stages in the finless porpoise (Zeng et al. 2017). Zeng et al. (2017) indicate that crude protein concentration is much higher in colostrum…
Comparative physiology of vocal musculature in two odontocetes, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Thometz, Nicole M.; Dearolf, Jennifer L.; Dunkin, Robin C.; Noren, Dawn P.; Holt, Marla M.; Sims, Olivia C.; Cathey, Brandon C.; Williams, Terrie M.
Journal of Comparative Physiology B (2017)
The mechanism by which odontocetes produce sound is unique among mammals. To gain insight into the physiological properties that support sound production in toothed whales, we examined myoglobin content ([Mb]),…
Choroid plexus cyst in a neonatal Burmeister’s porpoise (Phocoena spinipinnis)
Díaz-Delgado, J.; Groch, K. R.; Wiegand, M. W.; Secchi, E. R.; Réssio, R.; Natália, F. C. C.; Catão-Dias, J. L.
Journal of Comparative Pathology (2017)
Neuroectodermal developmental anomalies are reported rarely in cetaceans and central nervous system cysts are not described. We describe the gross, microscopical, histochemical and immunohistochemical features of a neuraxial myelencephalic cyst…
Biosonar signal propagation in the harbor porpoise’s (Phocoena phocoena) head: The role of various structures in the formation of the vertical beam
Wei, Chong; Au, Whitlow W. L.; Ketten, Darlene R.; Song, Zhongchang; Zhang, Yu
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (2017)
Harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) use narrow band echolocation signals for detecting and locating prey and for spatial orientation. In this study, acoustic impedance values of tissues in the porpoise's head…
Characterization of milk composition in narrow-ridged finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) at different lactation stages
Zeng, Xianyuan; Huang, Shiang-lin; Qian, Zhengyi; Hao, Yujiang; Wang, Ding; Ji, Junhua; Nabi, Ghulam
Marine Mammal Science (2017)
Lactation plays a vital role in reproductive success, evolving with ecological adaptations of mammalian life histories. Knowledge of the lactation process in odontocetes is scarce and limited to a handful…
Dive heart rate in harbour porpoises is influenced by exercise and expectations
McDonald, Birgitte I.; Johnson, Mark; Madsen, Peter T.
The Journal of Experimental Biology (2017)
The dive response, a decrease in heart rate (fH) and peripheral vasoconstriction, is the key mechanism allowing breath-hold divers to perform long-duration dives. This pronounced cardiovascular response to diving has…
Long-term tag retention on two species of small cetaceans
Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter; Nielsen, Nynne H.; Teilmann, Jonas; Leifsson, Páll S.
Marine Mammal Science (2017)
The effects of tagging on small cetaceans are difficult to assess due to logistical difficulties in recapturing the whales. In this study two narwhals, Monodon monoceros, and five harbor porpoises,…
Evaluating morphometric and metabolic markers of body condition in a small cetacean, the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Kershaw, Joanna L.; Sherrill, Meredith; Davison, Nicholas J.; Brownlow, Andrew; Hall, Ailsa J.
Ecology and Evolution (2017)
Mammalian body condition is an important individual fitness metric as it affects both survival and reproductive success. The ability to accurately measure condition has key implications for predicting individual and…
Inter-species differences in polychlorinated biphenyls patterns from five sympatric species of odontocetes: Can PCBs be used as tracers of feeding ecology?
Méndez-Fernandez, Paula; Simon-Bouhet, Benoit; Bustamante, Paco; Chouvelon, Tiphaine; Ferreira, Marisa; López, Alfredo; Moffat, Colin F.; Pierce, Graham J.; Russell, Marie; Santos, Maria B.; Spitz, Jérôme; Vingada, José V.; Webster, Lynda; Read, Fiona L.; González, Angel F.; Caurant, Florence
Ecological Indicators (2017)
Concentrations of thirty two polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in the blubber of five sympatric species of odontocetes stranded or by-caught along the Northwest coast of the Iberian Peninsula: common…
Coming of age: Do female harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the North Sea and Baltic Sea have sufficient time to reproduce in a human influenced environment?
Kesselring, Tina; Viquerat, Sacha; Brehm, Ralph; Siebert, Ursula
PLOS ONE (2017)
The harbour porpoise is the only cetacean species native to German waters. Since human pressures are suggested to shorten their reproductive lifespan, basic knowledge on reproduction is strongly required. One…