PLOS ONE (2015)
Reproductive failure in mammals due to exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can occur either through endocrine disrupting effects or via immunosuppression and increased disease risk. To investigate further, full necropsies…
Parentage-based group composition and dispersal pattern studies of the Yangtze finless porpoise population in Poyang Lake
Chen, Minmin; Zheng, Yang; Hao, Yujiang; Mei, Zhigang; Wang, Kexiong; Zhao, Qingzhong; Zheng, Jinsong; Wang, Ding
International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2016)
Social behaviors are poorly known for the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoise (YFP, Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis). Here, group composition and dispersal patterns of the YFP population living in the Poyang…
Assessing harbour porpoise populations in south-west Wales, data issues and implications for conservation and management
Oakley, J. A.; Jenkins, R. E.; Thomas, T.; Williams, A. T.; Phillips, M. R.
Ocean & Coastal Management (2016)
The UK Government was recently criticised for failing to fulfil its obligations under the Habitats Directive in respect of designating protected areas for Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena. At the centre…
Exploitation of coastal fish communities by harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena during nursing periods in German Baltic waters
Pinzone, M.; Michel, L. N.; Gallus, A.; Brundiers, K.; Sturaro, N.; Andreasen, H.; Dähne, M.; Lepoint, G.; Siebert, U.; Das, K.; Benke, H.
Zoology Conference 2017 (2016)
The increased number of juvenile and newborn harbour porpoise strandings along the German Baltic coasts in summer provides evidence for a possible local calving and nursing ground in this area.…
Saving the Yangtze finless porpoise: Time is rapidly running out
Huang, Shiang-Lin; Mei, Zhigang; Hao, Yujiang; Zheng, Jinsong; Wang, Kexiong; Wang, Ding
Biological Conservation (2016)
The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) is the world's only freshwater porpoise and is endemic to the Yangtze River. However, it is now Critically Endangered, with its long-term survival…
Prevalence of algal toxins in Alaskan marine mammals foraging in a changing arctic and subarctic environment
Lefebvre, Kathi A.; Quakenbush, Lori; Frame, Elizabeth; Burek Huntington, Kathy; Sheffield, Gay; Stimmelmayr, Raphaela; Bryan, Anna; Kendrick, Preston; Ziel, Heather; Goldstein, Tracey; Snyder, Jonathan A.; Gelatt, Tom; Gulland, Frances; Dickerson, Bobette; Gill, Verena
Harmful Algae (2016)
Current climate trends resulting in rapid declines in sea ice and increasing water temperatures are likely to expand the northern geographic range and duration of favorable conditions for harmful algal…
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…
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…
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…
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…