Three-dimensional x, y, and z coordinates of 27 landmarks were recorded on each left half skull using a Microscribe 3-D digitizer. All configurations were rotated, centered, and scaled, and residuals from the mean configuration were analyzed through multivariate analyses of variance. Mahalanobis distances among populations were used to evaluate phenetic relationships. Consensus configurations were compared to visualize shape differences among samples. Analyses revealed significant differences among populations, a clear distinction of the Scottish coasts dolphins

from the other samples, and a closer relationship of the dolphins see more from the French coasts to the Mediterranean populations than to the Scottish one. Shape differences are mainly concentrated in the rostral and in the occipital regions of the skull. Phylogenetic and adaptive factors were invoked as possible

causes of the variation patterns. “
“It has previously been asserted that baleen whales compete with fisheries by consuming potentially harvestable marine resources. The regularly applied “surplus-yield Doxorubicin order model” suggests that whale prey becomes available to fisheries if whales are removed, and has been presented as a justification for whaling. However, recent findings indicate that whales enhance ecosystem productivity by defecating iron that stimulates primary productivity in iron-limited waters. While juvenile whales and whales that are pregnant or lactating retain iron for growth and milk production, nonbreeding adult whales defecate most of the iron they consume. Here, we modify the surplus-yield model to incorporate iron defecation. After modeling a simplistic trajectory of blue whale recovery to historical abundances, the traditional surplus-yield model predicts that 1011 kg of carbon yr−1 would become unavailable to fisheries. However, this ignores the MCE公司 nutrient recycling role of whales. Our model suggests the population of blue whales would defecate 3 × 106 kg of iron yr−1, which would stimulate primary production equivalent to that required

to support prey consumption by the blue whale population. Thus, modifying the surplus-yield model to include iron defecation indicates that blue whales do not render marine resources unavailable to fisheries. By defecating iron-rich feces, blue whales promote Southern Ocean productivity, rather than reducing fishery yields. “
“For wild belugas (Delphinapterus leucas), gestation length estimates based on fetal size have produced extreme ranges. Ex situ populations thereby provide unique opportunities to define this important life history event. Accordingly, research with ultrasound was conducted on six beluga whales over 11 gestations with known conception dates to serially measure fetal changes in biparietal diameter (BP), thoracic diameter (TD), thoracic circumference (TC), and total length (TL).