Physical Review Applied (2017)
Porpoises are small-toothed whales, and they can produce directional acoustic waves to detect and track prey with high resolution and a wide field of view. Their sound-source sizes are rather…
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]),…
Don’t forget the porpoise: Acoustic monitoring reveals fine scale temporal variation between bottlenose dolphin and harbour porpoise in Cardigan Bay SAC
Nuuttila, Hanna K.; Courtene-Jones, Winnie; Baulch, Sarah; Simon, Malene; Evans, Peter G. H.
Marine Biology (2017)
Populations of bottlenose dolphin and harbour porpoise inhabit Cardigan Bay, which was designated a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), with bottlenose dolphin listed as a primary feature for its conservation…
Ultra-high foraging rates of harbor porpoises make them vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance
Wisniewska, Danuta Maria; Johnson, Mark; Teilmann, Jonas; Rojano-Doñate, Laia; Shearer, Jeanne; Sveegaard, Signe; Miller, Lee A.; Siebert, Ursula; Madsen, Peter Teglberg
Current Biology (2016)
The question of how individuals acquire and allocate resources to maximize fitness is central in evolutionary ecology. Basic information on prey selection, search effort, and capture rates are critical for…
Listening to echolocation clicks with PODs
Tregenza, Nick; Dawson, Steve; Rayment, Will; Verfuss, Ursula
Modern Acoustics and Signal Processing (2016)
Monitoring echolocation using SAMs—static acoustic monitors—such as T-PODs or, more recently, C-PODs—has provided a wealth of information on the fine-scale distribution and activity of dolphins, porpoises and other toothed whales.…
Asymmetry of the nasofacial skull in toothed whales (Odontoceti)
Huggenberger, S.; Leidenberger, S.; Oelschläger, H. H. A.
Journal of Zoology (2016)
In this study, the nasal asymmetry of odontocetes (toothed whales) was analyzed morphometrically by placing landmarks on photographed nasofacial skulls from 12 different species and genera that belong to four…
Habitat shapes skull profile of small cetaceans: Evidence from geographical variation in Black Sea harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena relicta)
Gol’din, Pavel; Vishnyakova, Karina
Zoomorphology (2016)
Morphological differentiation in skull shape in small toothed whales is sometimes explained as driven by differences in ontogeny or adaptation to a benthic or pelagic habitat. To test these hypotheses,…
Diel and seasonal patterns in acoustic presence and foraging behaviour of free-ranging harbour porpoises
Schaffeld, T.; Bräger, S.; Gallus, A.; Dähne, M.; Krügel, K.; Herrmann, A.; Jabbusch, M.; Ruf, T.; Verfuß, U. K.; Benke, H.; Koblitz, J. C.
Marine Ecology Progress Series (2016)
A temporal and geographical analysis of echolocation activity can give insights into the behaviour of free-ranging harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena. Seasonal and diel patterns in the presence and foraging activity…
Synthetic communication signals influence wild harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) behaviour
Culik, Boris; von Dorrien, Christian; Müller, Vailett; Conrad, Matthias
Bioacoustics (2015)
We used our novel and programmable Porpoise Alarm (PAL, patd.) to synthesize life-like, electronic harbour porpoise communication signals based on those described for captive animals. In the Little Belt, Denmark,…
Characterization of the temporomandibular joint of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus)
McDonald, M.; Vapniarsky-Arzi, N.; Verstraete, F.J.M.; Staszyk, C.; Leale, D.M.; Woolard, K.D.; Arzi, B.
Archives of Oral Biology (2015)
Objectives The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in cetaceans is largely uncharacterized. This study aims to describe the macroscopic, microscopic, biochemical and biomechanical features of the TMJ of two species of the…