Polar Biology (2013)
Knowledge about parasitism in harbour porpoises and their health status around Greenland is scarce. This study provides knowledge about the poorly studied cetacean in its rapidly changing environment. Parasites and…
Morphology and variation in porpoise (Cetacea: Phocoenidae) cranial endocasts
Racicot, Rachel A.; Colbert, Matthew W.
The Anatomical Record (2013)
Evolution of endocranial anatomy in cetaceans is important from the perspective of echolocation ability, intelligence, social structure, and alternate pathways for circulation to the brain. Apart from the importance of…
Comparative morphology of porpoise (Cetacea: Phocoenidae) pterygoid sinuses: Phylogenetic and functional implications
Racicot, Rachel A.; Berta, Annalisa
Journal of Morphology (2012)
High-resolution X-ray computed tomographic scans were used to examine pterygoid sinus morphology within extant porpoise species and one delphinid (Tursiops truncatus), in order to consider: 1) intraspecific and interspecific variation…
The modulation rate transfer function of a harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Linnenschmidt, Meike; Wahlberg, Magnus; Damsgaard Hansen, Janni
Journal of Comparative Physiology A (2012)
During echolocation, toothed whales produce ultrasonic clicks at extremely rapid rates and listen for the returning echoes. The auditory brainstem response (ABR) duration was evaluated in terms of latency between…
Organization and number of orexinergic neurons in the hypothalamus of two species of Cetartiodactyla: A comparison of giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Dell, Leigh-Anne; Patzke, Nina; Bhagwandin, Adhil; Bux, Faiza; Fuxe, Kjell; Barber, Grace; Siegel, Jerome M.; Manger, Paul R.
Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy (2012)
The present study describes the organization of the orexinergic (hypocretinergic) neurons in the hypothalamus of the giraffe and harbour porpoise – two members of the mammalian Order Cetartiodactyla which is…
The ecological role of the vaquita, Phocoena sinus, in the ecosystem of the northern Gulf of California
Riofrío-Lazo, Marjorie; Arreguín-Sánchez, Francisco; Zetina-Rejón, Manuel; Escobar-Toledo, Fabián
Ecosystems (2012)
From an ecosystem management perspective, analysis of the functional roles of species is a challenge. It is valuable to determine which species are irreplaceable within a given community based on…
Geographic variation of skeletal ontogeny and skull shape in the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Galatius, A.; Gol’din, P. E.
Canadian Journal of Zoology (2011)
All extant porpoise species show paedomorphic skeletal traits. These traits are hypothesized to be connected with rapid growth to reproductive size and could thus show geographic variation according to ecological…
Investigations of thyroid and stress hormones in free-ranging and captive harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena): A pilot study
Siebert, Ursula; Pozniak, Blazej; Anderson Hansen, Kirstin; Nordstrom, Gwyneth; Teilmann, Jonas; van Elk, Niels; Vossen, Arndt; Dietz, Rune;
Aquatic Mammals (2011)
Increasing anthropogenic activities in the marine environment are potential threats to the health of harbor porpoises by causing unnatural continuous stress to the animals. The present study was a first…
Morphology of the odontocete melon and its implications for acoustic function
McKenna, Megan F.; Cranford, Ted W.; Berta, Annalisa; Pyenson, Nicholas D.
Marine Mammal Science (2011)
Toothed whales (crown Odontoceti) are unique among mammals in their ability to echolocate underwater, using specialized tissue structures. The melon, a structure composed of fat and connective tissue, is an…
Estimating the success of protected areas for the vaquita, Phocoena sinus
Gerrodette, Tim; Rojas-Bracho, Lorenzo
Marine Mammal Science (2011)
Bycatch in artisanal gill nets threatens the vaquita, Phocoena sinus, with extinction. In 2008 the Mexican government announced a conservation action plan for this porpoise, with three options for a…