River dolphins are a very widespread group of fully aquatic mammals that reside exclusively in freshwater or brackish water. They are an informal grouping of dolphins, which is a paraphyletic group within the infraorder Cetacea. The river dolphins comprise the extant families Platanistidae (the Indian dolphins), Iniidae (the Amazonian dolphins), and Pontoporiidae (the brackish dolphins). There are five extant species of river dolphins, and two subspecies. River dolphins, alongside other cetaceans, belong to the clade Cetartiodactyla, with even-toed ungulates, and their closest living relatives the hippopotamuses, having diverged about 40 million years ago. River dolphins are relatively small compared to other dolphins, having evolved to survive in warm, shallow water and strong river currents. They range in size from the 5-foot (1.5 m) long South Asian river dolphin to the 8-foot (2.4 m) and 220-pound (100 kg) Amazon river dolphin. Several species exhibit sexual dimorphism, in that the males are ...

Télécharger cette image : Lenfant interagit avec une fausse orque (Pseudorca crassidens) à lAquarium de Vancouver à Vancouver, Canada. - GH5J29 depuis la bibliothèque dAlamy parmi des millions de photos, illustrations et vecteurs en haute résolution.

Kitamura, S., Matsuishi, T., Yamada, T. K., Tajima, Y., Ishikawa, H., Tanabe, S., Nakagawa, H., Uni, Y. and Abe, S. (2013), Two genetically distinct stocks in Bairds beaked whale (Cetacea: Ziphiidae). Marine Mammal Science, 29: 755-766. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2012.00607.x ...

Hair represents an evolutionary innovation that appeared early on mammalian evolutionary history, and presumably contributed significantly to the rapid radiation of the group. An interesting event in hair evolution has been its secondary loss in some mammalian groups, such as cetaceans, whose hairless phenotype appears to be an adaptive response to better meet the environmental conditions. To determine whether different repertoire of keratin genes among mammals can potentially explain the phenotypic hair features of different lineages, we characterized the type I and II clusters of alpha keratins from eight mammalian species, including the hairless dolphin and minke whale representing the order Cetacea. We combined the available genomic information with phylogenetic analysis to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the evolutionary patterns of keratin gene clusters. We found that both type I and II gene clusters are fairly conserved among the terrestrial mammals included in this study, with lineage

The order Cetacea (pronounced /sɨˈteɪʃ(i)ə/, L. cetus, whale, from Greek) includes the marine mammals commonly known as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Cetus is Latin and is used in biological names to mean whale; its original meaning, large sea animal, was more general. It comes from Ancient Greek κῆτος (kētos), meaning whale or any huge fish or sea monster. In Greek mythology the monster Perseus defeated was called Ceto, which is depicted by the constellation of Cetus. Cetology is the branch of marine science associated with the study of cetaceans ...

basis of record Mead, J. G. and R. L. Brownell, Jr. (2005). Cetacea. Pages 723--743 in Wilson, D.E. & D.M. Reeder (eds). Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), Johns Hopkins University Press, 2,142 pp., available online at http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/ [details] ...

Identifying the genetic basis of adaptive phenotypes can be a significant step towards understanding how that phenotype evolved. With the increased availability of interspecific molecular data, an approach to uncover such genes has been to search for signatures of adaptive evolution at the molecular level. Many analyses have adopted a candidate gene approach, focusing on genes with important developmental roles. One such candidate gene is ASPM, which is involved in neurogenesis and associated with major neurological disorders [1]. The molecular evolution of ASPM has been investigated for a decade (see electronic supplementary material, table S1), under the hypothesis that it contributes to primate brain evolution. A recent study by Xu et al. [2] extends the taxonomic scope by demonstrating that ASPM evolved adaptively in cetaceans. However, descriptive studies of patterns of selection are now being supplanted by those that explicitly test for gene-phenotype associations. Using such an approach, ...

The cheek teeth [of Aetiocetus] are leaf shaped, similar to those of Patriocetus, but smaller and with the roots coalesced. The triangular rostrum, reduced dentition, and the conformation of the posterior ends of the maxillae, premaxillae, and nasals (Ernlong, 1966:s) are characters that would be expected in the ancestor of the mysticetes. Thenius (1969:489) stated: Even if Aetiocetus, because of its geologic age (upper Oligocene) cannot be a direct stem form of the cetotheres, yet this genus documents that a specific family (Aetiocetidae) must be classified as ancestor, the link between ancient and baleen whales.. Among the few Cetacea known from deposits of middle Oligocene age are two occurrences of unmistakable Mysticeti. One of these, Mauicetus Benham, 1939, from New Zealafid, has long nasals embraced by premaxillae and maxillae which extend posteriorly to the level of the supraorbital process of the frontal, together with an anteriorly thrusting triangular supraoccipital. The Oligocene ...

KILLER WHALES (Orcinus orca) - Physical Characteristics...Discover animal, environmental, and zoological career facts as you explore in-depth topic coverage via SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Discovery Coves on-line information books.

KILLER WHALES (Orcinus orca) - Scientific Classification...Discover animal, environmental, and zoological career facts as you explore in-depth topic coverage via SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Discovery Coves on-line information books.

additional source King, C.M.; Roberts, C.D.; Bell, B.D.; Fordyce, R.E.; Nicoll, R.S.; Worthy, T.H.; Paulin, C.D.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Keyes, I.W.; Baker, A.N.; Stewart, A.L.; Hiller, N.; McDowall, R.M.; Holdaway, R.N.; McPhee, R.P.; Schwarzhans, W.W.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Rust, S.; Macadie, I. (2009). Phylum Chordata: lancelets, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. pp. 431-554. [details] ...

CMS in collaboration with WWF has published Guidelines for the Safe and Humane Handling and Release of Bycaught Small Cetaceans from Fishing Gear, which set out best practice on how to handle and release small cetaceans accidentally caught in fishing gear. Preventing fisheries bycatch is a top priority to ensure the conservation of species or populations. However, when these efforts fail and small cetaceans are found alive in or on fishing gear, this clear and comprehensive set of guidelines for the fishers involved will be of great benefit.

Solution #1: When the desmostylian, Desmostylus hesperus (Marsh 1888), and the odontocete, Zygorhiza kochii (True 1908), are added to the LRT (Fig. 2) the Odontoceti and the Mysticeti finally nest apart when tested together. Both of these transitional taxa are known from complete skeletons that link them to both ancestors and descendants. The addition of these two taxa makes the transition more seamless.. Solution #2: The RBCM specimen referred to Behemotops includes a partial skull, 12 thoracic vertebrae, 17 rib fragments, a very partial scapula and most of a humerus. Authors Beatty and Cockburn 2015 also report, No other skeletal elements of desmostylians are found anywhere nearby, and the only other bone found in the area was a caudal vertebrae from a Tursiops-sized odontocete. Now, Im no whale expert, ...

Prints of Orca (Orcinus orca) with South American sealion (Otaria flavescens) in mouth, beaching itself on shore... ♥ Framed Photos, Premium Framing, Photographic Prints, Jigsaw Puzzles, Poster Prints, Canvas Prints, Fine Art Prints, Mounted Photos

3 where dr is the centre-to-centre spacing between the receptors of the retina. This introduces a trade-off, since increasing the focal length of the eye on its own increases the f-number and so decreases sensitivity. One way to achieve both good sensitivity and acuity is to allow the focal length to increase, but simultaneously to increase the aperture size to avoid increasing the f-number. Hence, it may be that the large eyes of ichthyosaurs were a result of simultaneous selection for both high sensitivity and acuity. However, it is interesting to note that the visual acuities of extant cetaceans and pinnipeds are generally good and comparable with those of terrestrial hunters such as the domestic cat Felis catus (Muir and Mitchell, 1973).. Visual performance also depends on retinal pooling - the summation of signals from individual sensory cells to produce a retina with fewer individual receptor units but greater sensitivity per receptor. With the longer focal length of its larger eye, an ...

FP6,NECESSITY,POLICIES-1,AN BORD LASCAIGH MHARA(IE),INSTITUTE OF MARINE RESEARCH, NATIONAL BOARD OF FISHERIES(SE),HAVFORSKNINGSINSTITUTTET(NO),CONSTAT(DK),SEA FISH INDUSTRY AUTHORITY(UK),THE UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS(UK),CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE(IT),THE SCOTTISH MINISTERS, ACTING THROUGH FISHERIES RESEARCH SERVICES(UK),INSTITUT FRANCAIS DE RECHERCHE POUR LEXPLOITATION DE LA MER(FR),UNIVERSITE DE LA ROCHELLE(FR),FINNISH GAME AND FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE(FI),UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK.(IE),AZTI FUNDAZIOA(ES),EGE UNIVERSITY FISHERIES FACULTY(TR),UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN(DK),THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FISHERIES AND RURAL AFFAIRES(UK),TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF DENMARK(DK),VLAAMS GEWEST(BE),AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS(ES),HELLENIC CENTRE FOR MARINE RESEARCH(EL),STICHTING DIENST LANDBOUWKUNDIG ONDERZOEK(NL),INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE RECURSOS BIOLOGICOS, I.P. IPIMAR(PT)

1. The Order Cetacea contains from eighty to ninety known species, belonging to about forty-four genera and four families.. 2. Cetaceans are found in all seas from the Equator to within the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, and in some of the larger rivers (the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus, and Irawadi in the Old World, and the Amazon and La Plata in the New).. 3. The species of Oceanic Cetaceans are mostly very widely distributed, especially the Delphinidæ, but in some cases are local, some species being confined to the Arctic and Antarctic Seas respectively, and some being peculiar to the Pacific and to the North Atlantic.. 4. The Fluviatile Dolphins proper constitute a family of themselves (Platanistide) with a very singular distribution, one genus being restricted to the rivers of India, and two others to those of South America.. 5. Besides the Platanistidæ some of the Delphinidæ are found in rivers, such as Orcella fluminalis in the Irawadi, and Sotalia tucuxi (with perhaps others of the same ...

A computational study of CYP3A4 mediated drug interaction profiles for anti-HIV drugs Regulation of blood-testis barrier dynamics by desmosome, gap junction, hemidesmosome and polarity proteins: An unexpected turn of events Synthesis, biological evaluation, and SAR study of novel pyrazole analogues as inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Part 2. Synthesis of rigid pyrazolones Peer-to-Peer Overlays and Data Integration in a Life Science Grid Diversity of true mangroves and their associates in the Pondicherry region of South India and development of a mangrove knowledgebase Analysis of CYP3A4-HIV-1 protease drugs interactions by computational methods for Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV/AIDS ZifBASE: a database of zinc finger proteins and associated resources A quantitative test of the thermogenesis hypothesis of cetacean brain evolution, using phylogenetic comparative methods A comparative analysis of the preference for dark environments in five teleosts Influence of the estrous cycle in

Holy, Trippel and Kings gillnets consist of a single wall of netting that is injected with barium sulphate, which makes the netting stiffer less likely to tightly tangle around a fin, flipper or tail. Barium sulphate also makes the nets more acoustically detectable for whales, dolphins and porpoises that are using echolocation to find objects. The ropes they use for float lines are specially designed to be easily broken (under a force of 1,100 lbs) so large cetaceans can wrestle their way free. In order to keep cetaceans away from the floatlines in the first place, the team designed a glowing rope that may visually deter the animals ...

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service has published for comment a draft national Procedural Directive clarifying the process for eligible permit applicants to obtain releasable marine mammals for public display purposes under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Releasable marine mammals are those that were successfully rehabilitated by the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Programs network of stranding centers and have been determined by the rehabilitation facilitys attending veterinarian to be candidates for return to the wild. NMFS will no longer grant permits for the specific purpose of retaining releasable marine mammals for public display. Instead, applicants will now need to apply for a permit to take (collect) animals from the wild pursuant to the MMPA. Non-releasable animals, on the other hand, may still be obtained through NMFS administrative procedures.. NMFS must receive any comments must by December 15, 2017.. Click here for more details and relevant links.. ...

McManus, TJ, Wapstra, JE, Guiler, ER, Munday, BL and Obendorf, DL (1984) Cetacean strandings in Tasmania from February 1978 to May 1983. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania, 118. pp. 117-135. ISSN 0080-4703 ...

C. Baker S, Chilvers BL, Constantine R, DuFresne S, Mattlin RH, van Helden A, Hitchmough R. Conservation status of New Zealand marine mammals (suborders Cetacea and Pinnipedia), 2009. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 2010 ;44(2):101 - 115. ...

C. Baker, S., Chilvers, B. L., Constantine, R., DuFresne, S., Mattlin, R. H., van Helden, A., & Hitchmough, R.. (2010). Conservation status of New Zealand marine mammals (suborders Cetacea and Pinnipedia), 2009. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 44(2), 101 - 115. presented at the 6/2010. doi:10.1080/00288330.2010. ...

Overall Aims and Purpose of the Module:. This module is aimed at students with an interest in the conservation, behaviour and ecology of marine mammals.. The module introduces students to the principles of marine mammal biology, including zoogeography as well as the morphological, physiological, and behavioural adaptations that have allowed these species to occupy a diverse range of marine and some freshwater systems. To make students aware of the conservation and management issues concerning marine mammals including case studies of human-marine mammal interactions. To provide students with an understanding of the unique challenges facing marine mammal scientists including strong components of relevant quantitative techniques and research methods (using R), which are of vital importance for anyone with an interest in pursuing a career in this field.. ...

As with all mammals, the marine mammals are characterized by the presence of hair and mammary glands, which in females produce milk for the nourishment of young. All are warm-blooded, breathe in air utilizing lungs, bear their young alive, and suckle them on their own milk. Some, such as the whales, have very limited hair, reducing drag in the water. Instead, they maintain internal temperatures with a thick layer of blubber (vascularized fat). However, the sea otter, unlike most marine mammals, has as a primary form of insulation an exceptionally thick coat of fur, the densest in the animal kingdom. Marine mammals are considered to have evolved from land dwelling ancestors and share several adaptive features for life at sea. These adaptations include generally large size, hydrodynamic body shapes, modified appendages, and various thermoregulatory adaptations. Different species are, however, adapted to marine life to varying degrees. The most fully adapted are the cetaceans and the sirenians, ...

Muizon, C. de 1984. Les vertebres fossiles de la Formation Pisco (Perou) II: Les Odontocetes (Cetacea, Mammalia) du Pliocene inferieur de Sud-Sacaco. Institut Francais dEtudes Andines Editions Recherche sur les Civilizations Memoire 50: 1-188 ...

The study is based on data gathered by the Kandalaksha State Sanctuary during 1947-1961. Most of the mammals were observed from islands during the navigational (free ice) period. It appears that the number of belugas that visit the gulf has greatly decreased. The greatest numbers of the mammals were observed in August-September -- a time when large concentrations of herring approach the coast. Usually, the number of belugas varies from year to year; the minimum was reached in 1948-1951 (5 in a year); the maxima in 1953 (37) and 1947 (32). (Author)(*CETACEA

As a founding member of the Trash Free Seas Alliance®, the Marine Mammal Center works alongside leaders in conservation to find upstream solutions that can reduce the amount of plastic entering our ocean. The ocean is in trouble, and human activity is threatening marine ecosystems that are vital to the health of the ocean and to all life on earth. Thats why we are proud to be part of efforts to work toward plastic-free seas to protect marine mammals and the entire ecosystem. - Dr. Jeff Boehm, executive director, The Marine Mammal Center. ...

The Marine Mammal Center advances global ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education. Explore The Centers website to find out how you can help support marine mammal conservation.

The Marine Mammal Center advances global ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education. Explore The Centers website to find out how you can help support marine mammal conservation.

A must-have for any marine mammal enthusiast! Illustrated in meticulous detail by award-winning conservationist and marine mammal illustrator Pieter Arend Folkens, this 19 x 27 poster depicts 38 species of marine mammals found along the California coast.. Comes in a 21 long mailing tube. Due to its nonstandard shape and size, this product ships as a separate order. A flat $5.00 shipping charge will apply. ...

MARINE MAMMALS. (plate VIII., p. 216). Section I.-Introductory Remarks Most of the recent writers on geographical distribution have confined their attention to terrestrial Mammals, or at any rate have but casually alluded to the marine groups of that Class. The seven previous chapters having been devoted to the terrestrial Mammals, it is proposed now to examine the principal facts connected with the distribution over the worlds surface of the Marine or aquatic members of the Class.. Aquatic Mammals which pass their lives entirely, or for the greater part, in the water are, of course, subject to very different laws of distribution from the terrestrial forms. As regards aquatic Mammals, land is of course an impassable barrier to their extension, and, subject to restrictions in certain cases, water offers them a free passage. Just the opposite is the case with the terrestrial Mammals, to which in most cases land offers a free passage, while seas and rivers restrain the extension of their ...

Read Molecular genetic study of the beluga (Delphinapterus leucas: Cetacea, Monodontidae) summering in the southern Sea of Okhotsk as compared to North American populations, Russian Journal of Genetics on DeepDyve, the largest online rental service for scholarly research with thousands of academic publications available at your fingertips.

Minke whales feed on fish and various invertebrates; like all baleen whales they filter their food from the water using their baleen plates like sieves. Although largely a solitary species, when feeding minke whales can often be seen in pairs, and on particularly good feeding grounds up to a hundred individuals may congregate. A number of feeding techniques have been observed, including trapping shoals of fish against the surface of the water. After a ten month gestation period, births occur in mid-winter, at birth the calf measures up to 2.8 metres in length. It will be weaned at four months of age, and will stay with its mother for up to two years, becoming sexually mature at seven years of age. Minke whales have an average life span of around 50 years. Minke whales are rather inquisitive and often swim by the side of boats for up to half an hour ...

illustration of false killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens by Uko Gorter, natural history illustrator (specializing in marine mammals but will do all fauna and conceptual illustrations, anatomical drawings, logos, maps, and other graphic illustrations)

order Cetacea, suborder Mysticeti). A family that includes the fin, humpback, and blue whales. The body is streamlined, the snout pointed, the throat and chest grooved. The dorsal fin is hooked and set far back on the body. The tail is slightly notched at the mid-line, and scalloped along the posterior edge. The cervical vertebrae are not fused. The baleen plates are broad and short, the left and right rows being joined anteriorly. The animals are typically grey on the dorsal surface, with some white on the ventral surface; but Megaptera novaengliae (humpback) may be black above and below, with white flippers. Members of the family feed on krill and small fish, and occur in both hemispheres. They grow to 7-30 m depending on species. There are six species, in two genera: Balaenoptera (B. acutorostrata, minke or lesser rorqual; B. borealis, sei; B. physalus, fin; B. musculus, blue; B. edeni, Brydes); and Megaptera novaengliae (humpback). ...

illustration of beluga whale, Delphinapterus leucas by Uko Gorter, natural history illustrator (specializing in marine mammals but will do all fauna and conceptual illustrations, anatomical drawings, logos, maps, and other graphic illustrations)

Common Dolphin (Delphinus Delphis), Mammals Art Print by Encyclopaedia Britannica. Find art you love and shop high-quality art prints, photographs, framed artworks and posters at Art.com. 100% satisfaction guaranteed.

ShareThis[1431] Yamato, M., D. R. Ketten, J. J. Arruda, S. R. Cramer, and K. Moore, The auditory anatomy of the Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata): Insights into potential sound reception pathways in a baleen whale, 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, vol. Abstracts, Tampa, FL, Society for Marine Mammology, pp. 319, 11/2011. Get PDF: Abstract.pdf (format PDF / 162 KB) Ken Norris first described a potential mandibular sound reception pathway in odontocetes in 1964. To date, sound reception paths in mysticetes remain unknown. To understand hearing mechanisms in baleen whales, a thorough examination of their auditory anatomy is required. This study combines classical dissection with biomed1cal imaging techniques such as X-ray, computerized tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRl) to describe the anatomy of the minke whale head with a focus on the ear region. Six individuals have been examined to date ...

ShareThis[1431] Yamato, M., D. R. Ketten, J. J. Arruda, S. R. Cramer, and K. Moore, The auditory anatomy of the Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata): Insights into potential sound reception pathways in a baleen whale, 19th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, vol. Abstracts, Tampa, FL, Society for Marine Mammology, pp. 319, 11/2011. Get PDF: Abstract.pdf (format PDF / 162 KB) Ken Norris first described a potential mandibular sound reception pathway in odontocetes in 1964. To date, sound reception paths in mysticetes remain unknown. To understand hearing mechanisms in baleen whales, a thorough examination of their auditory anatomy is required. This study combines classical dissection with biomed1cal imaging techniques such as X-ray, computerized tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRl) to describe the anatomy of the minke whale head with a focus on the ear region. Six individuals have been examined to date ...

Géographie physique et Quaternaire, 2006, vol. 60, n o 2, p , 14 fig., 1 tabl. FÉLIX: A LATE PLEISTOCENE WHITE WHALE (DELPHINAPTERUS LEUCAS) SKELETON FROM CHAMPLAIN SEA DEPOSITS AT SAINT-FÉLIX-DE-VALOIS,

Dolphin Inner Ear Bone Fossil SITE LOCATION: Pungo River or Yorktown Formation, Aurora, Beaufort Co., North Carolina, USA TIME PERIOD: Miocene age (5.3-23 Million Years Ago) Data: Dolphins are a widely distributed and diverse group of aquatic mammals. They are an informal grouping within the order Cetacea, excluding whales and porpoises, so to zoologists the grouping is paraphyletic. The dolphins comprise the extant families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the new world river dolphins), and Pontoporiidae (the brackish dolphins), and the extinct Lipotidae (baiji or Chinese river dolphin). There are 40 extant species of dolphins. Dolphins, alongside other cetaceans, belong to the clade Cetartiodactyla with even-toed ungulates. Cetaceans closest living relatives are the hippopotamuses, having diverged about 40 million years ago. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Cetartiodactyla ...

Synonyms for aquatic mammal in Free Thesaurus. Antonyms for aquatic mammal. 14 words related to aquatic mammal: eutherian, eutherian mammal, placental, placental mammal, cetacean, cetacean mammal, blower, sea cow, sirenian.... What are synonyms for aquatic mammal?

Charlotte E Page, Natalie Cooper (2017). Dataset: Crania and mandible data from river dolphins and other odontocetes. Resource: Odontocete crania landmarks. Natural History Museum Data Portal (data.nhm.ac.uk). https://doi.org/10.5519/0082274. Retrieved: 07:39 16 Jan 2018 (GMT). ...

Charlotte E Page, Natalie Cooper (2017). Dataset: Crania and mandible data from river dolphins and other odontocetes. Resource: Sliders for odontocete crania landmarks. Natural History Museum Data Portal (data.nhm.ac.uk). https://doi.org/10.5519/0082274. Retrieved: 07:28 16 Jan 2018 (GMT). ...

The Amazon river dolphin, genus Inia, is endemic to the major river basins of northern South America. No previous studies have focused on the genetic structure of this genus. In this work, 96 DNA samples from specimens of this genus were collected in the Orinoco basin (four rivers), the Putumayo Riv …

Data collected on life-history parameters of known-age animals from the northern (NR) and southern resident (SR) killer whales (Orcinus orca) of the eastern North Pacific were compared with life-history traits of killer whales located at SeaWorld (SEA) facilities.

Whaling is the practice of hunting whales, mainly baleen and sperm whales. This activity has gone on since the Stone Age. In the Middle Ages, reasons for whaling included their meat, oil usable as fuel and the jawbone, which was used in house construction. At the end of the Middle Ages, early whaling fleets aimed at baleen whales, such as bowheads. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Dutch fleet had about 300 whaling ships with 18,000 crewmen. In the 18th and 19th centuries, baleen whales especially were hunted for their baleen, which was used as a replacement for wood, or in products requiring strength and flexibility such as corsets and crinoline skirts. In addition, the spermaceti found in the sperm whale was used as a machine lubricant and the ambergris as a material for pharmaceutical and perfume industries. In the second half of the 19th century, the explosive harpoon was invented, leading to a massive increase in the catch size. Large ships were used as mother ships for the whale ...

This compilation brings together current information on the status of Asian freshwater cetacean populations, the factors that have caused their recent declines, and what can be done to improve their chances for survival. All of the species or populations in quesion are classified as endangered or critically endangered in the 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. Includes papers on water development issues, the Yangtze River Dolphin, or Baiji, the Ganges River Dolphin, or Susu, and the Yantgze River population of finless porpoisese. In the final section , five papers address methods for studying freswater cetaceans. ...

ID TURTR100015_PE1 STANDARD; PRT; 143 AA. AC TURTR100015_PE1; DT 00-JAN-0000 (Rel. 1, Created) DT 00-JAN-0000 (Rel. 2, Last sequence update) DT 00-JAN-0000 (Rel. 3, Last annotation update) DE Flags: Fragments; DE (TURTR100015.PE1). OS TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS. OC Eukaryota; Metazoa; Eumetazoa; Bilateria; Coelomata; Deuterostomia; OC Chordata; Craniata; Vertebrata; Gnathostomata; Teleostomi; Euteleostomi; OC Sarcopterygii; Tetrapoda; Amniota; Mammalia; Theria; Eutheria; OC Laurasiatheria; Cetartiodactyla; Cetacea; Odontoceti; Delphinidae; OC Tursiops. OX NCBI_TaxID=9739; RN [0] RP -.; RG -.; RL -.; CC -!- SEQ. DATA ORIGIN: Translated from the HOGENOM CDS TURTR100015.PE1. CC Tursiops truncatus scaffold scaffold_100015 turTru1 full sequence 1..31 CC annotated by Ensembl CC -!- GENE_FAMILY: HOG000111502 [ FAMILY / ALN / TREE ] DR HOGENOM:Tursiops_truncatus;ENSTTRG00000016534;ENSTTRT00000016534;ENSTTRP00000015675. DR HOGENOMDNA; TURTR100015.PE1; -. KW ENSTTRG00000016534820036002503210000011; KW ...

The earliest baleen whales didnt actually have any baleen plates in their mouths, and the evolutionary origin of these unique filter-feeding structures is still poorly understood.. It was thought to have been a fairly simple linear process from toothed ancestors to a mix of teeth and baleen and then to fully toothless with just baleen, but more recent discoveries have begun to cast doubt on that idea. The teeth of ancestral baleen whales werent suited to filter-feeding at all, instead still being adapted for predatory piercing and chewing - actions which would have been constantly interfering with and damaging any proto-baleen forming alongside them, and making it seem much more unlikely that there would have ever been a transitional form that had both teeth and baleen at the same time.. But then how did baleen whales get their baleen?. Maiabalaena nesbittae here provides a possible solution. Discovered in Oregon, USA, this early baleen whale dates to the early Oligocene, around 33 million ...

Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphin. Molecular studies show the genus contains three species: the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), and the Burrunan dolphin (Tursiops australis). Bottlenose dolphins inhabit warm and temperate seas worldwide, being found everywhere except for the Arctic and Antarctic Circle regions. Bottlenose dolphins live in groups typically of 10-30 members, called pods, but group size varies from single individuals up to more than 1,000. Their diets consist mainly of forage fish. Dolphins often work as a team to harvest fish schools, but they also hunt individually. Dolphins search for prey primarily using echolocation, which is similar to sonar. They emit clicking sounds and listen for the return echos to determine the location and shape of nearby items, including potential prey. Bottlenose dolphins also use sound for ...

Mexicos swine flu crisis, coupled with its reeling economy, may end a plan to save the worlds most endangered cetacean.. The vaquita, the worlds smallest cetacean, has seen its population dwindle to 150, and nearly 30 more die each year due to fishing nets.. Mexican officials have cut funding aimed to make fishing boats vaquita-friendly.. The endangered cetacean illustrates the problem with other dolphins and porpoises around the world, say campaigners.. Currently, scientists, environmentalists, and whale-hunters are meeting at an International Whaling Commission (IWC) gathering, but a recent WWF report shows that the whales smaller relative may be more at risk.. Earlier this year, the Yangtse River Dolphin was declared extinct, and conservationists believe the Critically Endangered vaquita (Phocoena sinus) could be next.. The estimated mortality comes to more than 30 animals per year, and having a population that is only 150 - you can imagine that the population will not survive if nothing ...

In an on-going project in collaboration with researchers at the Sea Mammal Research Unit of the University of St. Andrews (Scotland), the levels of reproductive and stress hormones are measured in blubber biopsy samples and blow samples collected from humpback whales. Reproductive hormone levels, particularly progesterone, have been measured in cetacean blubber samples and blow samples as indicators of pregnancy in various cetacean species. Other studies have shown, that high progesterone levels are indicative of pregnancy. Therefore, we can collect information on pregnancy rates in our humpback whale population, as well as, calf survival rates, when females are seen the following season with or without a calf.. In the same matrices, the blubber and the blow, the stress hormone cortisol will also be measured. In their natural environment, animals experience a variety of environmental and anthropogenically influenced conditions, which can induce a physiological stress response. Stress responses ...

The Mill Valley Patch published an article on the U.S.-Mexico Agreement to Protect the Vaquita Porpoise, which is available in its entirety here, and excerpted in part below:. The Marine Mammal Center Responds to U.S.-Mexico Agreement to Protect Vaquita Porpoise. The tiny vaquita porpoise is the most endangered of the 128 marine mammals alive in the world today.. By Maggie Avants (Patch Staff) - July 22, 2016 8:24 pm ET. SAUSALITO, CA - The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito praised the commitment made Friday by President Barack Obama and Mexicos President Enrique Peña Nieto to intensify the efforts of both countries to protect the critically endangered vaquita porpoise.. Dr. Frances Gulland, The Marine Mammal Centers senior scientist and a member of the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, said the demand for illegal totoaba fish bladders is driving the vaquitas demise.. The tiny vaquita porpoise is found only in the shallow waters of the northern Gulf of California, Mexico. It is the most ...

In 1999, a researcher suffered headaches, lassitude and a severe sinusitis after exposure to marine mammal strains of Brucella with which the worker was in contact. The symptoms resolved in one week after treatment with doxycycline and rifampin. The researcher had a positive titer for Brucella, and the organism was cultured from blood samples. PCR-RFLP was used to positively identify the isolates as being comparable to marine mammal Brucella (Brew and Staunton 1999). Organisms Brucella ssp. are gram-negative intracellular bacteria and are a major source of zoonoses worldwide. B. melitensus, B. abortus, and B. suis are some species commonly recognized to play a role in human and animal health. Nomenclature for marine mammal strains of Brucella has not yet been fully developed, but B. maris and B. pinnipedia have so far been named. Transmission occurs primarily through contact with aborted fetal material, and consumption of contaminated milk. ...

The Influence of Man: The Indus River Dolphins have suffered as a result of incidental and direct exploitation. They have been accidentally caught in fishing nets, but have also been hunted for meat, oil and traditional medicines. They are now fully protected in all of their range.. Flippers: The dolphin has very broad flippers to help it stabilise at slow swimming speed.. Reproduction: The gestation period for the dolphins is approximately 10 months and it is believed that the babies are born in spring. When a baby is born it is about 70 cm long (almost the length of a domestic cat and the mother helps it to the surface to breathe. Babies stay close to their mother for the first six months of their life.. Life span: Scientists think that these dolphins can live for approximately 20 years.. Introduction:The Indus River Dolphin is high on the list of the worlds endangered species. There are estimated to be fewer than 1000 of these dolphins remaining in the whole of Pakistan, most of them between ...

Join our friends from British Divers Marine Life Rescue, Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme and Receiver of Wreck Camilla Moore on Tue 8 September at 18:30.. Ever wondered what to do if you find a stranded marine mammal? Join Dan Jarvis from British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), Rob Deaville from Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) and Receiver of Wreck Camilla Moore to discuss who to call and what to do.. Hosted on Tuesday 8 September at 18:30, discover why marine mammals need our help, how to help, and the growing challenges faced in this one-hour webinar hosted by key UK marine mammal organisations, BDMLR and CSIP.. In a government and Zoological Society London (ZSL) review published last year, it was reported that almost 5,000 cetaceans (harbour porpoises, dolphins and whales) washed up on the UK shoreline between 2011 and 2017, which was a 15% increase on the previous reporting period. As ocean-lovers, divers can learn so much more about how to help these ...

Balcomb, K. C. and Claridge, D. E. 2001. A mass stranding of cetaceans caused by naval sonar in the Bahamas. Bahamas Journal of Science 8(2): 2-12.. Cox, T. M., Ragen, T. J., Read, A. J., Vos, E., Baird, R. W., Balcomb, K., Barlow, J., Caldwell, J., Cranford, T., Crum, L., DAmico, A., DSpain, A., Fernández, J., Finneran, J., Gentry, R., Gerth, W., Gulland, F., Hildebrand, J., Houser, D., Hullar, T., Jepson, P. D., Ketten, D., Macleod, C. D., Miller, P., Moore, S., Mountain, D., Palka, D., Ponganis, P., Rommel, S., Rowles, T., Taylor, B., Tyack, P., Wartzok, D., Gisiner, R., Mead, J. and Benner, L. 2006. Understanding the impacts of anthropogenic sound on beaked whales. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 7(3): 177-187.. Dalebout, M. L., Mead, J. G., Baker, C. S., Baker, A. N. and van Helden, A. L. 2002. A new species of beaked whale Mesoplodon perrini sp. n. (Cetacea: Ziphiidae) discovered through phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences. Marine Mammal Science 18(3): ...

Small coastal dolphins endemic to south-eastern Australia have variously been assigned to described species Tursiops truncatus, T. aduncus or T. maugeanus; however the specific affinities of these animals is controversial and have recently been questioned. Historically the southern Australian Tursiops was identified as unique and was formally named Tursiops maugeanus but was later synonymised with T. truncatus. Morphologically, these coastal dolphins share some characters with both aforementioned recognised Tursiops species, but they also possess unique characters not found in either. Recent mtDNA and microsatellite genetic evidence indicates deep evolutionary divergence between this dolphin and the two currently recognised Tursiops species. However, in accordance with the recommendations of the Workshop on Cetacean Systematics, and the Unified Species Concept the use of molecular evidence alone is inadequate for describing new species. Here we describe the macro-morphological, colouration and cranial

LIEN VERS LE FILM SUR LES BALEINES ET LES MAMMIFERES DE MEDITERRANEE Les globicéphales ou baleines-pilotes (globicephala « tête globuleuse ») forment un genre de vrai dauphin (famille des Delphinidae) dont le melon frontal est fortement développé. Il est communément appelé « dauphin pilote » car on le voit fréquemment dans le sillage ou à létrave des navires (en anglais finned pilot whale). Le globicéphale est un animal social qui se déplace le plus souvent en bandes pouvant aller dune dizaine à plusieurs centaines dindividus. Globicéphale noir, Baleine pilote, dauphin pilote (car on le voit fréquemment dans le sillage ou à létrave des navires), globicéphale grinde, globicéphale à longues nageoires, orque à tête ronde, Long-finned pilot whale (GB), Globicefalo (I), Calderón común (E), Langflossen-grindwal (D), Mavrodélphino (Grec) Clef didentification Couleur noire parfois teintée de brun. Melon volumineux. Nageoire dorsale pratiquement deux fois plus longue que haute.

LIEN VERS LE FILM SUR LES BALEINES ET LES MAMMIFERES DE MEDITERRANEE Les globicéphales ou baleines-pilotes (globicephala « tête globuleuse ») forment un genre de vrai dauphin (famille des Delphinidae) dont le melon frontal est fortement développé. Il est communément appelé « dauphin pilote » car on le voit fréquemment dans le sillage ou à létrave des navires (en anglais finned pilot whale). Le globicéphale est un animal social qui se déplace le plus souvent en bandes pouvant aller dune dizaine à plusieurs centaines dindividus. Globicéphale noir, Baleine pilote, dauphin pilote (car on le voit fréquemment dans le sillage ou à létrave des navires), globicéphale grinde, globicéphale à longues nageoires, orque à tête ronde, Long-finned pilot whale (GB), Globicefalo (I), Calderón común (E), Langflossen-grindwal (D), Mavrodélphino (Grec) Clef didentification Couleur noire parfois teintée de brun. Melon volumineux. Nageoire dorsale pratiquement deux fois plus longue que haute.

Chilvers, B. L. and Corkeron, P. 2003. Abundance of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops aduncus, off Point Lookout, Queensland, Australia. Marine Mammal Science 19(1): 85-95.. Cockcroft, V. G., Ross, G. J. B., Peddemors, V. M. and Borchers, D. L. 1992. Estimates of abundance and undercounting of bottlenose dolphins off northern Natal, South Africa. South African Journal of Wildlife Research 22: 102-109.. Curry, B. E. and Smith, J. 1997. Phylogeographic structure of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): stock identification and implications for management. In: A. E. Dizon, S. J. Chivers and W. F. Perrin (eds), Molecular genetics of marine mammals, pp. 227-247. The Society of Marine Mammalogy, Allen Press, Lawrence.. Harwood, M.B. and Hembree, D. 1987. Incidental catch of small cetaceans in the offshore gillnet fishery in northern Australian waters: 1981-1985. Reports of the International Whaling Commission 37: 363-367.. IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2012.2). ...

The common dolphins underwent centuries of evolution to move from terrestrial to aquatic mammals. These mammals share much of their evolution with the other members of the Cetacea. Various genes went through positive selection, or Darwinian selection, to be in the form they take today. Numerous studies show the about 2.26%-4.8%, around 376 genes, of genes were selected for with positive selection. This gene selection is believed to help the overall system development, pattern of specification process, and mesoderm development.[6] Morphological evolution is evident as the Delphinus form is significantly different than the body of the Pakicetus. In dolphins, there is a overrepresentation in genes of MET, FOXP2, TRIM63, FOXO3, CD2, and PTCH1 which are possibly responsible for the morphological evolution. Evidence shows that there could be changes in transcription factors, expression patterns, and in protein function that is also responsible for the morphological changes.[7] Adapting to the aquatics ...

Author(s): Urata, Sarah Matsuye | Abstract: Mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) code for, in part, the enzymes involved in the creation of energy for cellular function. Altering these highly conserved genes even slightly can have a biochemical impact on this pathway. Analyzing the mitogenome for positive selection using models that take biochemically significant changes into account can identify adaptive alterations presumably under selection due to energetic costs that vary across lineages due to physiological divergence, environmental factors, or ecological drivers. This study was conducted on the mitochondrial cytochrome B (CYTB) gene of 45 cetacean species. Using TreeSAAP, I identified evidence of positive selection based on five physicochemical properties acting on several of the transmembrane helical regions of CYTB. In addition to these broad regional findings, 88 codon sites were identified to have undergone radical and significant changes. Further computational analysis will be necessary in

The phenomenon of a remarkable conservation of the X chromosome in eutherian mammals has been first described by Susumu Ohno in 1964. A notable exception is the cetartiodactyl X chromosome, which varies widely in morphology and G-banding pattern between species. It is hypothesized that this sex chromosome has undergone multiple rearrangements that changed the centromere position and the order of syntenic segments over the last 80 million years of Cetartiodactyla speciation. To investigate its evolution we have selected 26 evolutionarily conserved bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones from the cattle CHORI-240 library evenly distributed along the cattle X chromosome. High-resolution BAC maps of the X chromosome on a representative range of cetartiodactyl species from different branches: pig (Suidae), alpaca (Camelidae), gray whale (Cetacea), hippopotamus (Hippopotamidae), Java mouse-deer (Tragulidae), pronghorn (Antilocapridae), Siberian musk deer (Moschidae), and giraffe (Giraffidae) were ...

Dolphins are highly intelligent social animals. Many species appear to live in cooperative groups, groups that work together. They may live in groups called pods of fewer than five or as many as several thousand. To some extent, group size depends on the availability of food. Within a large group, animals often separate by age and sex.. Dolphins have excellent hearing and communicate with each other by producing a variety of different sounds, often identified as clicks, pulses, and whistles. Some of these sounds may be identifiers for individual animals, but this communication is not well understood. Dolphins living in clear water may also communicate by flipping and flashing patches of color on their bodies.. There are many examples of dolphins working cooperatively. They may work together to locate and round up a school of fish or chase them into shallow water or to attack a predator, an animal that hunts them for food. They have been seen helping newborn or injured animals to the ...

I have collected skulls of Cetacea for the National Collection of Ecuador over many years, yet this particular one exceeds all others in its extremely simple lines, its miniscule size and the sheer beauty of its form. The deeply concave top of the head is indeed reminiscent of the mighty sperm whale, whose head may equal about 1/3 of the total body length, and to whom it is genetically related.. Although little is known of this species it is believed to use echolocation to navigate and search for food. This sonar of toothed whales and dolphins is one of the most remarkable adaptations of all mammals and has permitted them to penetrate the deep and totally dark regions of the seas in search of food.. And the method of echolocation is unique in all animal life. Through air pressure, the phonic lips in the nasal passages are caused to vibrate at speeds that man has not been able to record. The often-concussive sounds formed are emitted directionally forward through the shapes of the skull, air ...

Im a paleontologist and adjunct faculty at College of Charleston in South Carolina, with research interests in Cenozoic marine vertebrates with an emphasis on marine mammals (whales, dolphins, pinnipeds, otters, sea cows, and others), but I willingly entertain brief distractions into the worlds of marine birds, sharks, and fish. My M.S. (2011, MSU-Bozeman) focused on marine vertebrate taphonomy whilst my Ph.D. (2015, U. Otago, NZ) focused on Oligocene baleen whales from New Zealand. Current research is concerned with fossil cetaceans from South Carolina including Oligocene eomysticetids, toothed mysticetes, and archaic dolphins ...

Abstract This contribution contains the 3D models described and figured in the following publication: Mourlam, M., Orliac, M. J. (2017), Protocetid (Cetacea, Artiodactyla) bullae and petrosals from the Middle Eocene locality of Kpogamé, Togo: new insights into the early history of cetacean hearing. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology https://doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2017.1328378 ...

Further evidence that food enzymes have been ordained by nature over countless millions of years to help digest the food of all creatures, including human beings, is supplied by special organs with no function except to serve as food-enzymes stomachs. Food enzymes are made up of proteolytic food enzymes to digest protein, amyloytic food enzymes to digest carbohydrates, and lipolytic food enzymes to digest fats. The so-called killer whale, a member of Cetacea, has a food enzyme stomach larger than any land creature. The food-enzyme stomach of this whale has been found to contain more than a dozen porpoises and seals. In one instance this enormous food enzyme stomach, which is the first of the whales three stomachs, and much larger than the others, was found to house the bodies of 32 entire seals undergoing digestion by the seal enzymes, which now belong to the whale, and are the whales food enzymes. The remarkable fact elicited by physiologists is that the first stomach (forestomach) has no ...

Coming from a long-established fishing family, André felt it was time to innovate their ways of utilizing the sea. Hes managed to do just that by setting up marine discovery tours in his traditional fishing village of Ferragudo, Portugal. Today, he shares his passion and knowledge of the local environment with the regions tourists.. Like many sons born into fishing families, André began fishing on his fathers boat at the young age of 14. This sparked his ever-growing curiosity for the marine environment and he went on to study marine biology. His professional career began with his familys fishing business but André wanted to find an alternative way of making a living with a new business activity linked to the marine environment.. André decided to set up a company dedicated to the discovery of the local marine environment with a focus on cetacean observation. Thanks to the support of the FLAG, he acquired his first boat designed to bring tourists out at sea and observe marine life.. ...

Just as in humans, it is possible to learn about a dolphins health from physiological biomarkers measured in their blood. However, blood sampling is a medical procedure that requires careful handling of animals in controlled conditions, which can be challenging and untenable in some field research applications. Feces and saliva, like blood, are composed of biological compounds that may serve as biomarkers of health and can provide a less invasive and potentially more feasible method for monitoring health in some wild cetacean populations and for animals under professional care.. Our team is developing methodology to identify and measure various biomarkers of health in feces and saliva from the bottlenose dolphin population in Sarasota Bay, and from a group of bottlenose dolphins under professional care residing at the Chicago Zoological Societys Brookfield Zoo in Illinois. Given heightened concern over the exposure of marine mammal populations to various anthropogenic stressors (contaminants, ...

Just as in humans, it is possible to learn about a dolphins health from physiological biomarkers measured in their blood. However, blood sampling is a medical procedure that requires careful handling of animals in controlled conditions, which can be challenging and untenable in some field research applications. Feces and saliva, like blood, are composed of biological compounds that may serve as biomarkers of health and can provide a less invasive and potentially more feasible method for monitoring health in some wild cetacean populations and for animals under professional care.. Our team is developing methodology to identify and measure various biomarkers of health in feces and saliva from the bottlenose dolphin population in Sarasota Bay, and from a group of bottlenose dolphins under professional care residing at the Chicago Zoological Societys Brookfield Zoo in Illinois. Given heightened concern over the exposure of marine mammal populations to various anthropogenic stressors (contaminants, ...

Baleen has been harvested by indigenous people for thousands of years, as well as collected by whalers as an additional product of commercial whaling in modern times. Baleen refers to the food-filtering system of Mysticeti whales; a full baleen rack consists of dozens of plates of a tough and flexible keratinous material that terminate in bristles. Due to its properties, baleen was a valuable raw material used in a wide range of artefacts, from implements to clothing. Baleen is not widely used today, however, analyses of this biomolecular tissue have the potential to contribute to conservation efforts, studies of genetic diversity and a better understanding of the exploitation and use of Mysticeti whales in past and recent times. Fortunately, baleen is present in abundance in museum natural history collections. However, it is often difficult or impossible to make a species identification of manufactured or old baleen. Here, we propose a new tool for biomolecular identification of baleen based on ...

Orcas have been my passion from a very young age. I created this slideshow in eleventh grade and have since graduated with a BSc in marine biology. I am curren…

The name Perissodactyla means odd-toed. This group of ungulates includes horses, tapirs, and rhinos. The name of their order derives from the fact that their middle toe is larger than the others, and the plane of symmetry of the foot passes through it, a condition called mesaxonic. Most species have three digits on the hindfoot and three or four on the forefoot, but in some only a single digit, the third, remains. Some species have horns, but these are dermal structures without bony cores, and they are located on the nasals or frontals in the midline of the skull. This contrasts with the horns of artiodactyls, which have bone cores, are paired, and are located on the frontals. The anterior part of the skull of perissodactyls is elongated and accomodates a full series of large cheek teeth (most have a total of 44 teeth). Molars and premolars are hypsodont in grazing forms such as horses, and brachydont in browsers such as tapirs. Modern species are lophodont (complexly so in equids), in ...