Emx2 underlies the development and evolution of marsupial gliding membranes.

Phenotypic variation among species is a product of evolutionary changes to developmental programs. However, how these changes generate novel morphological traits remains largely unclear. Here we studied the genomic and developmental basis of the mammalian gliding membrane, or patagium-an adaptative trait that has repeatedly evolved in different lineages, including in closely related marsupial species.

Spin-leap performance by cetaceans is influenced by moment of inertia.

Cetaceans are capable of extraordinary locomotor behaviors in both water and air. Whales and dolphins can execute aerial leaps by swimming rapidly to the water surface to achieve an escape velocity. Previous research on spinner dolphins demonstrated the capability of leaping and completing multiple spins around their longitudinal axis with high angular velocities.

Fatal hepatic sarcocystosis in three captive and one free-ranging pinniped.

Fatal hepatic sarcocystosis was diagnosed as the cause of death in four pinnipeds: two captive Hawaiian monk seals (), a captive, and a free-ranging California sea lion (). Based on necropsy, histopathology, electron microscopy and DNA sequencing, intralesional protozoal schizonts were determined to have caused the necrotizing hepatitis observed. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) revealed schizonts similar to in hepatocytes.

Relationship between red blood cell lifespan and endogenous carbon monoxide in the common bottlenose dolphin and beluga.

Certain deep-diving marine mammals [i.e., northern elephant seal (), Weddell seal ()] have blood carbon monoxide (CO) levels that are comparable with those of chronic cigarette smokers.

MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY PATTERNS OF INDIAN RIVER LAGOON COMMON BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS TRUNCATUS) 2002-2020.

Mortality patterns in cetaceans are critical to understanding population health. Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus truncatus) inhabiting the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida have been subjected to four unusual mortality events (UMEs), highlighting the need to evaluate morbidity and mortality patterns. Complete gross examinations were conducted on 392 stranded dolphins and histopathological analyses were conducted for 178 animals (2002-2020).

Lipid storage disease in 4 sibling superb birds-of-paradise ().

Pedigree analysis, clinical, gross, microscopic, ultrastructural, and lipidomic findings in 4 female superb bird-of-paradise (SBOP, ) siblings led to the diagnosis of a primary inherited glycerolipid storage disease. These birds were the offspring of a related breeding pair (inbreeding coefficient = 0.1797) and are the only known SBOPs to display this constellation of lesions.

Epidemiology of skin changes in endangered Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca).

Photographic identification catalogs of individual killer whales (Orcinus orca) over time provide a tool for remote health assessment. We retrospectively examined digital photographs of Southern Resident killer whales in the Salish Sea to characterize skin changes and to determine if they could be an indicator of individual, pod, or population health. Using photographs collected from 2004 through 2016 from 18,697 individual whale sightings, we identified six lesions (cephalopod, erosions, gray patches, gray targets, orange on gray, and pinpoint black discoloration).

Evolution of the germline mutation rate across vertebrates.

The germline mutation rate determines the pace of genome evolution and is an evolving parameter itself. However, little is known about what determines its evolution, as most studies of mutation rates have focused on single species with different methodologies. Here we quantify germline mutation rates across vertebrates by sequencing and comparing the high-coverage genomes of 151 parent-offspring trios from 68 species of mammals, fishes, birds and reptiles.

EFFICACY OF HUMAN RECOMBINANT GRANULOCYTE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR (G-CSF, FILGRASTIM; NEUPOGEN) IN NEUTROPENIC CETACEANS.

Neutrophils are one of the initial cell lines of protection against pathogens, and when their concentrations in the blood are low, animals are highly susceptible to infections. Neutropenia has been reported in cetaceans secondary to administration of systemic sulfa antibiotics or antifungal medications and severe, overwhelming infection. Filgrastim was administered to treat neutropenia over a 15-y period in 11 cetaceans comprising four species-beluga (, = 1), bottlenose dolphin (, = 4), killer whale (, = 5), and short-finned pilot whale (, = 1)] ranging in age from 1 wk to >24 y.

Fatal Blowhole Obstruction by Eel in Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Florida, USA.

Esophageal and pharyngeal obstruction are commonly reported in marine mammals, but asphyxiation from blowhole and nasal cavity obstruction has been reported only rarely: in two long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas), several harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), and one common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). We describe two cases of blowhole obstruction and subsequent asphyxiation in bottlenose dolphins caused by eels. A whip eel (Bascanichthys scuticaris) was found obstructing the blowhole of a deceased dolphin from the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, US (2011) and a shrimp eel (Ophichthus gomesii) was found obstructing the blowhole of a deceased dolphin from Tampa Bay, Florida (2020).

Reproductive tract neoplasia in adult female Asian elephants ().

Recent reports have highlighted a lower-than-expected prevalence of neoplasia in elephants and suggested mechanisms for cancer resistance. But despite infrequent reports in the literature, uterine neoplasia is common in managed Asian elephants (). This study is an archival review of reproductive tract neoplasia in 80 adult female Asian elephant mortalities in managed care facilities in the United States from 1988 to 2019.

Pathology findings and correlation with body condition index in stranded killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the northeastern Pacific and Hawaii from 2004 to 2013.

Understanding health and mortality in killer whales (Orcinus orca) is crucial for management and conservation actions. We reviewed pathology reports from 53 animals that stranded in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Hawaii between 2004 and 2013 and used data from 35 animals that stranded from 2001 to 2017 to assess association with morphometrics, blubber thickness, body condition and cause of death. Of the 53 cases, cause of death was determined for 22 (42%) and nine additional animals demonstrated findings of significant importance for population health.

Cervical air sac oxygen profiles in diving emperor penguins: parabronchial ventilation and the respiratory oxygen store.

Some marine birds and mammals can perform dives of extraordinary duration and depth. Such dive performance is dependent on many factors, including total body oxygen (O) stores. For diving penguins, the respiratory system (air sacs and lungs) constitutes 30-50% of the total body O store.

Morphology of the Amazonian Teleost Genus Using Advanced 3D Imaging.

The arapaima is the largest of the extant air-breathing freshwater fishes. Their respiratory gas bladder is arguably the most striking of all the adaptations to living in the hypoxic waters of the Amazon basin, in which dissolved oxygen can reach 0 ppm (0 mg/l) at night. As obligatory air-breathers, arapaima have undergone extensive anatomical and physiological adaptations in almost every organ system.

Infection in Opaleye ().

Over a 3-year-period, 17 wild-caught opaleye () housed in a public display aquarium were found dead without premonitory signs. Grossly, 4 animals had pinpoint brown or black foci on coelomic adipose tissue. Histologically, liver, spleen, heart, and posterior kidney had mesomycetozoan granulomas in all cases; other organs were less commonly infected.

Renal and vaginal calculi in a free-ranging long-beaked common dolphin Delphinus capensis.

Bilateral nephrolithiasis with a concurrent vaginal calculus was identified in a stranded free-ranging long-beaked common dolphin Delphinus capensis. Necropsy and radiologic examinations of the sexually mature D. capensis revealed multiple small irregularly round nephroliths and a 6.

How smooth is a dolphin? The ridged skin of odontocetes.

Dolphin skin has long been an inspiration for research on drag reduction mechanisms due to the presence of skin ridges that could reduce fluid resistance. We gathered in vivo three-dimensional surface data on the skin from five species of odontocetes to quantitatively examine skin texture, including the presence and size of ridges. We used these data to calculate k values, which relate surface geometry to changes in boundary layer flow.

New de novo assembly of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) improves genome completeness and provides haplotype phasing.

High-quality genomes are essential to resolve challenges in breeding, comparative biology, medicine, and conservation planning. New library preparation techniques along with better assembly algorithms result in continued improvements in assemblies for non-model organisms, moving them toward reference-quality genomes. We report on the latest genome assembly of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, leveraging Illumina sequencing data coupled with a combination of several library preparation techniques.

Clinicopathological prognostic indicators of survival and pathological findings in cold-stressed Florida manatees Trichechus manatus latirostris.

Cold-stress syndrome (CSS) is a leading natural cause of mortality in free-ranging Florida manatees Trichechus manatus latirostris, but comprehensive investigations into blood analyte derangements and prognostic indicators in CSS are lacking. The objectives of this study were to (1) compare admission blood analyte data of manatees pre and post rehabilitation for CSS to identify clinicopathological derangements, (2) identify blood analyte prognostic indicators for survival, and (3) correlate post-mortem anatomic pathological changes with clinicopathological findings to improve the understanding of CS pathophysiology. CSS manatees admitted to a rehabilitation facility between 2007 and 2017 were included: 59 manatees with data for clinicopathological analysis (7 non-survivors and 49 survivors) and 14 manatees with necropsy data (7 with and 7 without blood analyte data).

Personality in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca): A rating approach based on the five-factor model.

The comparative study of animal personality has received great interest in recent years. Some studies have analyzed personalities in cetaceans (exclusively in dolphins), but none have analyzed the factorial structure of personality of any species in this order. Our objective was to evaluate a sample of captive killer whales (n = 24) adapting one of the most widely used models of personality in humans and nonhuman animals: the five-factor model.

MAMMARY FIBROADENOMATOUS HYPERPLASIA IN A JUVENILE CALIFORNIA SEA LION ( ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS).

A juvenile female California sea lion ( Zalophus californianus) presented with a firm subcutaneous mass in the right caudoventral pelvic region, measuring approximately 15 × 15 cm, and edema in the right hind flipper. The initial diagnostic workup included an ultrasound, blood analysis, and fine-needle aspirate of the mass under manual restraint. While the blood analysis was within normal limits, the ultrasound revealed a large discrete hyperechoic homogeneous mass with anastomosing hypoechoic fluid pockets that, when aspirated, was suggestive of a reactive lymph node.

Prosocial Predictions by Bottlenose Dolphins ( Tursiops spp.) Based on Motion Patterns in Visual Stimuli.

In this study, paradigms that test whether human infants make social attributions to simple moving shapes were adapted for use with bottlenose dolphins. The dolphins observed animated displays in which a target oval would falter while moving upward, and then either a "prosocial" oval would enter and help or caress it or an "antisocial" oval would enter and hinder or hit it. In subsequent displays involving all three shapes, when the pro- and antisocial ovals moved offscreen in opposite directions, the dolphins reliably predicted-based on anticipatory head turns when the target briefly moved behind an occluder-that the target oval would follow the prosocial one.

Pathology and causes of death in stranded humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from Brazil.

This study describes the pathologic findings of 24 humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) found stranded along the Brazilian coast from 2004 to 2016. Eighteen (75%) animals evaluated were found stranded alive. From these, 13 died naturally on shore and five were euthanized.

Sea Lions Develop Human-like Vernix Caseosa Delivering Branched Fats and Squalene to the GI Tract.

Vernix caseosa, the white waxy coating found on newborn human skin, is thought to be a uniquely human substance. Its signature characteristic is exceptional richness in saturated branched chain fatty acids (BCFA) and squalene. Vernix particles sloughed from the skin suspended in amniotic fluid are swallowed by the human fetus, depositing BCFA/squalene throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, thereby establishing a unique microbial niche that influences development of nascent microbiota.