Overview

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

Full Product Details

Author:   Milan Klima
Publisher:   Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. KG
Imprint:   Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. K
Edition:   1999 ed.
Volume:   149
Dimensions:   Width: 15.50cm , Height: 0.80cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.510kg
ISBN:  

9783540649960

ISBN 10:   3540649964
Pages:   144
Publication Date:   29 January 1999
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

1 Introduction.- 2 Materials and Methods.- 3 Synopsis of Structures of the Embryonic Nasal Skull…..- 3.1 Cartilaginous Structures.- 3.2 Dermal Bones.- 4 Morphogeny of the Nasal Skull.- 4.1 Odontoceti.- 4.2 Mysticeti.- 5 Metamorphosis and Translocation of the Nasal Structures.- 5.1 Stages Around 40 mm in Size.- 5.2 Stages Around 80 mm in Size.- 5.3 Stages Around 150 mm in Size.- 5.4 Course of the Most Important Transformations.- 6 Comparison of the Embryonic Nasal Structures.- 6.1 The Median Structures.- 6.2 The Posterior Side Wall Structures.- 6.3 The Anterior Side Wall Structures.- 7 The Nasal Structures of Adult Cetacea.- 7.1 The Ethmoid Complex.- 7.2 Cartilaginous Rostrum.- 7.3 Cartilages of the Nostril.- 7.4 Nasal Roof Cartilage in the Sperm WhalePhyseter catodon.- 7.5 Pararostral Bones, or the so-called Meckelian Ossicles.- 8 Evolutional and Functional Relationships.- 8.1 Position of the Nostrils and the Mode of Surfacing in Cetaceans.- 8.2 Position of the Nostrils and the Mode of Surfacing in Ichthyosaurs.- 8.3 Position of the Nostrils and the Modell9 of Surfacing in Sirenians.- 9 The Systematics of Cetacea According to the Morphogeny of Their Nasal Skull.- 9.1 On the Phylogenetic Origin of Cetacea.- 9.2 The Present Results and Their Significance for the Systematics of Cetacea.- 9.3 Other Recent Criteria for the Systematics of Cetacea.- 10 Summary.- References.

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