Chapter 10 - Postcranial skeleton and musculature
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 of the skeleton that differs from that of other cetaceans. First, the skeleton of bowheads changes with ontogenetic age. Some of these changes are gross-morphologically, while others are biochemical and histological. Several are related to the life history of the species. Our discussion focuses on the changes in the morphology of the cervical vertebral column, the ontogenetic variation in carpals, and the variation in the hind limb. Individuals with external hind limbs occur infrequently, but there is a great variation in the size of ox coxae, femur, and tibia.
Thewissen JGM; Hillmann DJ; George JC; Tarpley RJ; Sheffield Gay; Stimmelmayr R; Suydam RS
The Bowhead Whale
2021
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Book Chapter
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Chapter 10 - Postcranial skeleton and musculature
forelimb; myology; Bowhead whale; muscles; skeleton; Balaena mysticetus; hindlimb;
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 of the skeleton that differs from that of other cetaceans. First, the skeleton of bowheads changes with ontogenetic age. Some of these changes are gross-morphologically, while others are biochemical and histological. Several are related to the life history of the species. Our discussion focuses on the changes in the morphology of the cervical vertebral column, the ontogenetic variation in carpals, and the variation in the hind limb. Individuals with external hind limbs occur infrequently, but there is a great variation in the size of ox coxae, femur, and tibia.
Thewissen JGM; Hillmann DJ; George JC; Tarpley RJ; Sheffield Gay; Stimmelmayr R; Suydam RS
The Bowhead Whale
2021
2021-01-01
Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
journalArticle
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818969-6.00010-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a>
Pathological phalanges in a camarasaurid sauropod dinosaur and implications on behaviour
bone; bone tumour; camarasaurids; degenerative joint disease; Dinosauria; entheses; enthesophytes; histology; Jurassic; life-style; morphology; Morrison Formation; muscles; osteoarthritis; osteoblastoma; osteochondrosis; osteoid osteoma; Paleontology; paleopathology; Sauropoda; tendon; USA; Wyoming
Several types of pathological bony overgrowth are known from various dinosaur taxa but, except for stress fractures, are rarely reported from appendicular elements. Herein we describe pathological manual and pedal phalanges of a camarasaurid sauropod (SMA 0002), which show features rarely recognised in non-avian dinosaurs. They include lateral osteophytes and smoothing of phalangeal articular surfaces, a deep pit, proximal enthesophytes in pedal unguals, distal overgrowth associated with a fracture, and a knob-like overgrowth lateral to the distal condyles of a pedal phalanx. Their causes were assessed by means of visual examination, CT scans, and bone histology, where possible. The lateral osteophytes are interpreted as symptoms of osteoarthritis. The ossified tendon insertions in the unguals are most probably the result of prolonged, heavy use of the pedal claws, possibly for scratch-digging. The distal overgrowth is interpreted to have developed due to changed stress regimes, and to be the cause for the fracture. The deep pit represents most likely a case of osteochondrosis, whereas the knob-like overgrowth likely represents a post-traumatic phenomenon not previously reported in dinosaurs. The study confirms that a rigorous assessment of pathologies can yield information about behaviour in long-extinct animals.
Tschopp E; Wings O; Frauenfelder T; Rothschild B M
Acta Palaeontologica Polonica
2016
2016
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.4202/app.00119.2014" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.4202/app.00119.2014</a>
Topical brinzolamide (Azopt) versus placebo in the treatment of infantile nystagmus syndrome (INS).
Administration; Adult; Aged; Binocular/physiology; Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors/*therapeutic use; Clinical Trial; Cross-Over Studies; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Muscles; Nystagmus; Ophthalmic Solutions; Pathologic/*drug therapy/physiopathology; Prospective Studies; Sulfonamides/*therapeutic use; Thiazines/*therapeutic use; Topical; Treatment Medical; Vision; Visual Acuity/physiology
PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that the topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor brinzolamide (Azopt) has beneficial effects versus placebo on measures of nystagmus and visual acuity in adult subjects with infantile nystagmus syndrome (INS). DESIGN: Prospective, cross-over, double masked clinical trial. METHODS: SETTING: Single centre. STUDY POPULATION: Five subjects \textgreater/=18 years old with typical INS and best-binocular visual acuity in their primary position null zone ETDRS 55 letters to 85 letters (20/200 to 20/50) and had no previous treatment for nystagmus. INTERVENTION: In a randomised order, each subject received one drop of Azopt or placebo in both eyes three times a day separated by a washout period of at least a week followed by Azopt or placebo in both eyes three times a day; thus each subject got the drug and placebo, each acting as his or her own control. OUTCOME MEASURES: The nystagmus acuity function and INS waveforms obtained from eye movement recordings, binocular optotype visual acuity, using the ETDRS protocol analysed individually and as a group before and after Azopt and placebo. RESULTS: Versus placebo and baseline measures, topical Azopt significantly improved; INS waveform characteristics in the primary position null zone, group mean values of the nystagmus acuity function across gaze (p\textless0.01) and group mean ETDRS binocular letter visual acuity (p\textless0.05). There was a predictable decrease in intraocular pressure (IOP) without any systemic or ocular adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Although a prospective large-scale clinical trial is needed to prove effectiveness, an eye-drop-based therapy for INS may emerge as a viable addition to optical, surgical, behavioural and systemic drug therapies for INS. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01312402.
Hertle Richard W; Yang Dongsheng; Adkinson Tonia; Reed Michael
The British journal of ophthalmology
2015
2015-04
Article information provided for research and reference use only. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2014-305915" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1136/bjophthalmol-2014-305915</a>