عنوان

Development of the Cetacean Nasal Skull

(Number (ISBN

3642586120

(Number (ISBN

9783642586125

Number

b571082

Title Proper

Development of the Cetacean Nasal Skull

General Material Designation

[Book]

First Statement of Responsibility

by M. Klima.

Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.

Berlin, Heidelberg

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

1999

Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item

(viii, 143 pages 68 illustrations)

Series Title

Advances in anatomy, embryology, and cell biology, 149.

Text of Note

Introduction --; Material and methods --; Synopsis of structures of the embryonic nasal skull --; Morphogeny of the nasal skull --; Metamorphosis and translocation of the nasal structures --; Comparison of the embryonic nasal structures --; The Nasal structures of adult Cetacea --; Evolutional and functional relationships --; The systematics of Cetacea according to the morphogeny of their nasal skull --; Summary --; Acknowledgements --; References --; Subject index --; Abbreviations.

Text of Note

Morphogeny of the nasal skull was investigated in 92 embryos of 13 species of Cetacea. Compared to the original nasal capsule of land mammals, the nasal structures of Cetacea show many weighty transformations. As a result, the nostrils are translocated from the tip of the snout to the vertex of the head. Several structures of the embryonic nasal skull remain preserved even in adult cetaceans. The translocation of the nostrils to the highest point of the surfacing body is among the most perfect adaptations of cetaceans to the aquatic life habits. The morphogeny of the nasal skull suggests that all cetaceans are of common origin and form a single monophyletic order. The hitherto usual division of this order into two suborders, Mysticeti and Odontoceti, appears to be unsubstantiated. Rather, at least three closely related superfamilies should be distinguished within the order Cetacea, viz., Balaenopteroidea, Physeteroidea, and Delphinoidea. The results are in a conspicuous accordance with the most recent molecular biological investigations on this topic.

Cetacea -- embryology.

Life sciences.

Zoology.

Class number

Book number

by M. Klima.

M Klima

Electronic name

[Book]

Y