Browse Items (436 total)

The superior olivary complex (SOC) is a major computation center in the brainstem auditory system. Despite previous reports of high expression levels of cholinergic receptors in the SOC, few studies have addressed the functional role of acetylcholine…

Odontocete cetaceans have undergone profound modifications to their integument and sensory systems and are generally thought to lack specialized exocrine glands that in terrestrial mammals function to produce chemical signals (Thewissen & Nummela,…

Sound localization critically relies on brainstem neurons that compare information from the two ears. The conventional role of the lateral superior olive (LSO) is extraction of intensity differences; however, it is increasingly clear that relative…

Neural hyperactivity induced by sound exposure often correlates with the development of hyperacusis and/or tinnitus. In laboratory animals, hyperactivity is typically induced by unilateral sound exposure to preserve one ear for further testing of …

Acetylcholine (ACh) is a neuromodulator that has been implicated in multiple roles across the brain, including the central auditory system, where it sets neuronal excitability and gain and affects plasticity. In the cerebral cortex, subtypes of …

In a species of baleen whale, we identify olfactory epithelium that suggests a functional sense of smell and document the ontogeny of the surrounding olfactory anatomy. Whales must surface to breathe, thereby providing an opportunity to detect …

Bats are the only mammals to have achieved powered flight. A key innovation allowing for bats to conquer the skies was a forelimb modified into a flexible wing. The wing bones of bats are exceptionally long and dynamically bend with wingbeats. Bone …

Locomotion on the narrow and compliant supports of the arboreal environment is inherently precarious. Previous studies have identified a host of morphological and behavioral specializations in arboreal animals broadly thought to promote stability …

Previous research suggests that the moment arm of the m. triceps surae tendon (i.e., Achilles tendon), is positively correlated with the energetic cost of running. This relationship is derived from a model which predicts that shorter ankle moment…

We present the first description of the endocranial cast of the small raoellid artiodactyl Indohyus indirae. Raoellidae are sister group to Cetacea and the new morphological observations allow for outlining some of the early steps of the evolutionary…

Infants experiencing frequent aspiration, the entry of milk into the airway, are often prescribed thickened fluids to improve swallow safety. However, research on the outcomes of thickened milk on infant feeding have been limited to documenting …

All mammalian infants suckle, a fundamentally different process than drinking in adults. Infant mammal oropharyngeal anatomy is also anteroposteriorly compressed and becomes more elongate postnatally. While suckling and drinking require different …

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have…

Swallowing in mammals requires the precise coordination of multiple oropharyngeal structures, including the palatopharyngeal arch. During a typical swallow, the activity of the palatopharyngeus muscle produces pharyngeal shortening to assist in…

Infant birth weight affects neuromotor and biomechanical swallowing performance in infant pig models. Preterm infants are generally born low birth weight and suffer from delayed development and neuromotor deficits. These deficits include critical …

An increasing number of studies show that listeners often have difficulty hearing in situations with background noise, despite normal tuning curves in quiet. One potential source of this difficulty could be sensorineural changes in the auditory …

OBJECTIVES: In many primates, the greater proportion of climbing and suspensory behaviors in the juvenile repertoire likely necessitates good grasping capacities. Here, we tested whether very young individuals show near-maximal levels of grasping …

We discuss the evolution, phylogenetic relations to right whales, and geographical distribution of bowhead whales. We summarize its relations to humans, including whaling by indigenous and European whalers, conservation efforts, and modern challenges…

Indigenous whalers know a great deal about the habits and environment of bowhead whales. That knowledge is essential for safe and effective hunting and has also been invaluable to scientific research and management of bowheads. Studies in Chukotka,…

The commercial hunt of the four stocks of bowhead whales by the nations of Europe and North America commenced in 1540 and came to an effective end at the start of World War I. At that time, all four stocks had been driven to near extinction. Whalers…

In the late 1980s, annual carbon isotope cycles in the baleen plates of bowhead whales formed the basis of the first effective means of estimating bowhead age. However, the baleen aging method could only be used for aging subadult whales less than…

Bowhead whales are some of the largest animals that occupy the Arctic Circle. Despite the challenges of living and giving birth in icy waters, having huge blubber stores, eating a fat-rich diet, and undergoing arduous migrations, bowheads achieved…

The sensory biology of bowhead whales reflects features both related to their origin from land mammals and adaptations to their current environment, polar seas. There is anatomical and genomic evidence that bowheads have a sense of smell. Their sense…

An understanding of the functional morphology of the bowhead whale continues to have significance for population management. This chapter first examines the anatomical features of the bowhead whale reproductive system, with an emphasis on the female.…

The postcranial skeleton of bowhead whales was described in detail more than 100 years ago. The musculature of bowheads has not been studied in detail but matches that of other mysticetes in general features. In this chapter, we focus on some aspects…

The skull of the bowhead whale is composed of all the bones commonly found in mammals, although the shape of these bones is far from ordinary. Features related to feeding dominate the skull: there are no teeth, and the rostrum is long and curved,…

The prenatal development of bowhead whales is poorly known, and no complete ontogenetic series exist. However, the available embryos and fetuses elucidate aspects of the development of the species, as well as that of all of mysticetes in general, and…
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