NAMMCO Scientific Publications (2017)
The ages of three species of cetaceans were estimated by counting the growth layer groups (GLG) and measuring the aspartic acid racemization rate (kAsp) by what is referred to as…
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…
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…
Organization of the sleep-related neural systems in the brain of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Dell, Leigh-Anne; Patzke, Nina; Spocter, Muhammad A.; Siegel, Jerome M.; Manger, Paul R.
Journal of Comparative Neurology (2016)
The present study provides the first systematic immunohistochemical neuroanatomical investigation of the systems involved in the control and regulation of sleep in an odontocete cetacean, the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena).…
Trace element concentrations, risks and their correlation with metallothionein genes polymorphism: A case study of narrow-ridged finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) in the East China Sea
Liu, Jun; Chen, Bingyao; Jefferson, Thomas Allen; Wang, Hui; Yang, Guang
Science of the Total Environment (2016)
The concentration of trace elements (TEs) and their risk to narrow-ridged finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) are still unclear. The present study determined the concentration of typical TEs in liver, kidney,…
Cognitive control of heart rate in diving harbor porpoises
Elmegaard, Siri L.; Johnson, Mark; Madsen, Peter T.; McDonald, Birgitte I.
Current Biology (2016)
Marine mammals have adapted to forage while holding their breath in a suite of aquatic habitats from shallow rivers to deep oceans. The key to tolerate such extensive apnea is…