Endangered Species Research (2019)
In 2017 an emergency field effort was undertaken in an attempt to prevent the extinction of the world’s most endangered marine mammal, the vaquita (Phocoena sinus). The rescue effort involved…
High field metabolic rates of wild harbour porpoises
Rojano-Doñate, Laia; McDonald, Birgitte I.; Wisniewska, Danuta M.; Johnson, Mark; Teilmann, Jonas; Wahlberg, Magnus; Højer-Kristensen, Jakob; Madsen, Peter T.
The Journal of Experimental Biology (2018)
Reliable estimates of field metabolic rates (FMRs) in wild animals are essential for quantifying their ecological roles, as well as for evaluating fitness consequences of anthropogenic disturbances. Yet, standard methods…
Directional acoustic wave manipulation by a porpoise via multiphase forehead structure
Zhang, Yu; Song, Zhongchang; Wang, Xianyan; Cao, Wenwu; Au, Whitlow W. L.
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…
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…
Dentinal anomalies in teeth of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from Scottish waters: Are they linked to sexual maturation and environmental events?
Luque, P. L.; Pierce, G. J.; Learmonth, J. A.; Santos, M. B.; Ieno, E.; López, A.; Reid, R. J.; Rogan, E.; González, A. F.; Boon, J.; Law, R. J.; Lockyer, C. H.
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (2009)
We examined the tooth ultra-structure of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from Scottish waters to determine whether the incidence of mineralization anomalies could be related to certain life history events (e.g.…
Variation in sexual behaviors in a group of captive male Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis): Motivated by physiological changes?
Wu, Hai-Ping; Hao, Yu-Jiang; Yu, Xue-Ying; Xian, Yi-Jie; Zhao, Qing-Zhong; Chen, Dao-Quan; Kuang, Xin-An; Kou, Zhang-Bin; Feng, Kang-Kang; Gong, Wei-Ming; Wang, Ding
Theriogenology (2010)
Most male mammals in temperate regions demonstrate seasonal sexual behaviors that coincide with seasonal variations in gonadal activities and androgen hormones. The Yangtze finless porpoise is a temperate freshwater cetacean…
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…
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]),…
B-Mode ultrasonographic evaluation of the testis in relation to serum testosterone concentration in male Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) during the breeding season
Wu, H.-P.; Hao, Y.-J.; Li, X.; Zhao, Q.-Z.; Chen, D.-Q.; Kuang, X.-A.; Kou, Z.-B.; Feng, K.-K.; Gong, W.-M.; Wang, D.
Theriogenology (2010)
The use of ultrasonography as a noninvasive tool for assessing the reproductive status of the male Yangtze finless porpoise (YFP; Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) was validated by correlating ultrasonographically determined testicular…
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…