Scientific Reports (2020)
Asymmetric genitalia and lateralized mating behaviors occur in several taxa, yet whether asymmetric morphology in one sex correlates or coevolves with lateralized mating behavior in the other sex remains largely…
Genital interactions during simulated copulation among marine mammals
Orbach, Dara N.; Kelly, Diane A.; Solano, Mauricio; Brennan, Patricia L. R.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2017)
Genitalia are morphologically variable across many taxa and in physical contact during intromission, but little is known about how variation in form correlates with function during copulation. Marine mammals offer…
The evolution of genital shape variation in female cetaceans
Orbach, Dara N.; Hedrick, Brandon; Würsig, Bernd; Mesnick, Sarah L.; Brennan, Patricia L. R.
Evolution (2017)
Male genital diversification is likely the result of sexual selection. Female genital diversification may also result from sexual selection, although it is less well studied and understood. Female genitalia are…
Raising your voice: Evolution of narrow-band high-frequency signals in toothed whales (Odontoceti)
Galatius, Anders; Olsen, Morten Tange; Steeman, Mette Elstrup; Racicot, Rachel A.; Bradshaw, Catherine D; Kyhn, Line A.; Miller, Lee A.
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society (2018)
Cetaceans use sound for communication, navigation and finding prey. Most extant odontocetes produce broadband (BB) biosonar clicks covering frequency ranges from tens of kilohertz to 150–170 kHz. In contrast, the…
High-quality whole-genome sequence of an abundant Holarctic odontocete, the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Autenrieth, Marijke; Hartmann, Stefanie; Lah, Ljerka; Roos, Anna; Dennis, Alice B.; Tiedemann, Ralph
Molecular Ecology Resources (2018)
The harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is a highly mobile cetacean found across the Northern hemisphere. It occurs in coastal waters and inhabits basins that vary broadly in salinity, temperature and…
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…
Timing of epiphyseal development in the flipper skeleton of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) as an indicator of paedomorphosis
Galatius, Anders; Andersen, Mai-Britt Elin Rindom; Haugan, Birgitte; Langhoff, Heidi Elisabeth; Jespersen, Åse
Acta Zoologica (2006)
Epiphyseal development was investigated on X-rays of flippers from 158 harbour porpoises from Danish waters. Development followed a proximodistal pattern similar to what is known in other cetacean species. Ossification…
Paedomorphosis in two small species of toothed whales (Odontoceti): How and why?
Galatius, Anders
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society (2010)
To evaluate and assess the ontogenetic background for paedomorphosis in phocoenids, samples of 144 harbour porpoises, 81 white-beaked dolphins, and 130 Commerson's dolphins were compared in terms of the development…
Patterns of cetacean vaginal folds yield insights into functionality
Orbach, Dara N.; Marshall, Christopher D.; Mesnick, Sarah L.; Würsig, Bernd
PLOS ONE (2017)
Complex foldings of the vaginal wall are unique to some cetaceans and artiodactyls and are of unknown function(s). The patterns of vaginal length and cumulative vaginal fold length were assessed…
Predation by killer whales (Orcinus orca) and the evolution of whistle loss and narrow-band high frequency clicks in odontocetes
Morisaka, T.; Connor, R. C.
Journal of Evolutionary Biology (2007)
A disparate selection of toothed whales (Odontoceti) share striking features of their acoustic repertoires including the absence of whistles and high frequency but weak (low peak-to-peak source level) clicks that…