Few studies exist of the bowhead whale brain and virtually nothing is known about its cortical cytoarchitecture or how it compares to other cetaceans. Bowhead whales are one of the least encephalized cetaceans and occupy a basal phylogenetic position…
BACKGROUND: The lake deposits of the informal Ruby Paper Shale unit, part of the Renova Formation of Montana, have yielded abundant plant fossils that document Late Eocene - Early Oligocene global cooling in western North America. A nearly complete…
BACKGROUND: The lake deposits of the informal Ruby Paper Shale unit, part of the Renova Formation of Montana, have yielded abundant plant fossils that document Late Eocene - Early Oligocene global cooling in western North America. A nearly complete…
Located in the midbrain, the inferior colliculus (IC) is the hub of the central auditory system. Although the IC plays important roles in speech processing, sound localization, and other auditory computations, the organization of the IC…
Trafficking protein particle complex 9 (TRAPPC9) is a major subunit of the TRAPPII complex. TRAPPC9 has been reported to bind nuclear factor κB kinase subunit β (IKKβ) and NF-kB-inducing kinase (NIK) where it plays a role in the canonical and…
Crocodylians evolved some of the most characteristic skulls of the animal kingdom with specializations for semiaquatic and ambush lifestyles, resulting in a feeding apparatus capable of tolerating high biomechanical loads and bite forces and a head…
The medial geniculate body (MG) receives a large input from the ipsilateral inferior colliculus (IC) and a smaller but substantial input from the contralateral IC. Both crossed and uncrossed inputs comprise a large percentage of glutamatergic cells…
The medial geniculate body (MG) receives a large input from the ipsilateral inferior colliculus (IC) and a smaller but substantial input from the contralateral IC. Both crossed and uncrossed inputs comprise a large percentage of glutamatergic cells…
Previous descriptive work on deciduous dentition of primates has focused disproportionately on great apes and humans. To address this bias in the literature, we studied 131 subadult nonhominoid specimens (including 110 newborns) describing deciduous…
Dental microwear analysis has been employed in studies of a wide range of modern and fossil animals, yielding many insights into the biology/ecology of those taxa. Paleoanthropological studies have produced both expected and unexpected results (e.g.,…
12th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology, held July 21 – 25, 2019 in Prague, Czech Republic
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During the land‐to‐water transition in the Eocene, the cetacean skeleton underwent modifications that are well‐documented in the fossil…
The distribution and performance of aquatic vertebrates can be linked strongly to their ability to perform in variable conditions of flowing water. Performance in these variable conditions can be affected by both morphology and behaviour, and animals…
This supplement of the Journal of Morphology presents over 750 abstracts of contributions to the 12th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology, held July 21 – 25, 2019 in Prague, Czech Republic.
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Objectives: Primate diagonal sequence (DS) gaits are often argued to be an adaptation for moving and foraging in the fine‐branch niche; however, existing data have come predominantly from laboratory studies that are limited in taxonomic breadth and…
Addition of filler particles is a common approach to alter food structure and thereby change sensory properties. The goal of this investigation was to determine how filler particles alter oral processing patterns and sensory texture perception of two…
The pineal gland is a naturally calcifying endocrine organ which secretes the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin. Age-related changes of the pineal have been observed, including decreased pinealocyte numbers, increased calcification, and a reduction…
Age-related hearing loss may result, in part, from declining levels of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) in the aging inferior colliculus (IC). An upregulation of the GABA(A)R gamma(1) subunit, which has been shown to increase sensitivity to GABA,…
Age-related hearing loss may result, in part, from declining levels of γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) in the aging inferior colliculus (IC). An upregulation of the GABAAR γ1 subunit, which has been shown to increase sensitivity to GABA, occurs in the…
Objective: Cytokine expression is tightly regulated posttranscriptionally, but high levels of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) indicate that regulatory mechanisms are disrupted in this disorder. The enzyme ZCCHC6 (zinc‐finger…
The influence of substrate compliance on gait mechanics has received little attention in previous studies of primate locomotion. Using high-speed video, we investigated how free-ranging platyrrhines in lowland Amazonian Ecuador adjust gait kinematics…
The grasping capabilities and gait kinematics characteristic of primates are often argued to be adaptations for safely moving on small terminal branches. The goal of this study was to identify whether Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus…
The lab and field provide differing approaches to studying primate biology. We outline the challenges and benefits of these approaches and demonstrate how collaboration can help bridge these perspectives to provide complementary insight into primate…
Food texture preference and product acceptance are hypothesized to be influenced by mouth behavior. Recent work identified four mouth behavior (MB) groups that describe most consumers in the United States: Chewers, Crunchers, Smooshers, and Suckers.…
Given that most species of primates are predominantly arboreal, maintaining the ability to move among branches of varying sizes has presumably been a common selective force in primate evolution. However, empirical evaluations of the relationships…
Due to small body size, an immature musculoskeletal system, and other growth-related limits on performance, juvenile mammals frequently experience a greater risk of predation than their adult counterparts. As a result, behaviorally precocious…
Juvenile animals must survive in the same environment as adults despite smaller sizes, immature musculoskeletal tissues, general ecological naïveté and other limits of performance. Developmental changes in muscle leverage could constitute one…
