The nasolacrimal duct (NLD) connects the orbital (often associated with the Deep Anterior Orbital gland: DAOG, a.k.a. Harderian gland) and nasal regions in many tetrapods. Adult cetaceans are usually said to lack an NLD, and there is little agreement in the literature concerning the identity of their orbital glands, which may reflect conflicting definitions rather than taxonomic variation. In this study, we examined an embryological series of the pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata), and report numerous divergences from other tetrapods. Underdeveloped eyelids and a few ventral orbital glands are present by late Stage (S) 17. By S 19, circumorbital conjunctival glands are present. In S 20, these conjunctival glands have proliferated, eyelids (and scattered palpebral glands) have formed, and a duct similar to the NLD has appeared. Subsequently, both the palpebral glands and the NLD are progressively reduced by S 22, even as the conjunctival glands exhibit regional growth. In most tetrapods examined, the ontogeny of the NLD follows a series of three stages: Inception of NLD, Connection of orbit and nasal cavity by the NLD and Ossification (i.e., formation of the bony canal surrounding the NLD, emerging into the orbit via the lacrimal foramen in the lacrimal bone). In contrast, the dolphin NLD originates at the same time as the lacrimal bone, and a lacrimal foramen fails to develop. The cetacean fossil record shows that a lacrimal foramen was present in the earliest ancestral amphibious, freshwater forms, but was soon lost as the lineage invaded the oceans. Anat Rec, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Anat Rec, 301:77-87, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

With the increase of human activity and corresponding increase in anthropogenic sounds in marine waters of the Arctic, it is necessary to understand its effect on the hearing of marine wildlife. We have conducted a baseline study on the spiral ganglion and Rosenthal's canal of the cochlea in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) as an initial assessment of auditory anatomy and health. We present morphometric data on the length of the cochlea, number of whorls, neuron densities along its length, Rosenthal's canal length, and cross-sectional area, and show some histological results. In belugas, Rosenthal's canal is not a cylinder of equal cross-sectional area, but its cross-section is greatest near the apex of the basal whorl. We found systematic variation in the numbers of neurons along the length of the spiral ganglion, indicating that neurons are not dispersed evenly in Rosenthal's canal. These results provide data on functionally important structural parameters of the beluga ear. We observed no signs of acoustic trauma in our sample of beluga whales.

No abstract

Tympanic bullae and baleen plates from bowhead whales of the Western Arctic population were examined. Growth layer groups (GLGs) in the involucrum of the tympanic bone were used to estimate age of the whales, and compared to stable isotope signatures along transects of baleen plates and the involucrum. The involucrum of the tympanic bone consists of three regions that form in utero, during nursing in the first year, and during the first decades of life, respectively. Life history events, such as annual migration, are recorded in the bowhead tympanic bulla. It is likely that bone growth in the bowhead tympanic occurs during periods of high food intake, while slow or arrested growth occurs during periods of low food intake. Comparisons between numbers of GLGs in the tympanic, number of isotopic oscillations in a baleen plate, length of the baleen plate, and total whale length show correlation coefficients as high as 0.97. The tympanic GLG method is particularly useful for estimating the age of whales up to 20 yr old.