Congenital Scoliosis of a Bottlenose Dolphin

DeLynn, Ruth; Lovewell, Gretchen N.; Wells, Randall S.; Early, Greg

doi:10.7589/0090-3558-47.4.979

Cited by 21 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Mice bearing a homozygous deletion of Hoxb9 have been shown to have an abnormal fusing pattern between the first and second ribs, resulting in a reduction of the thymic space in the upper thoracic region [54]. The first two ribs in the dolphin skeletal system in the thoracic cavity are also fully fused [55]. Since the timing and growth of ribs influences the development of the sternum, the abnormal separation and growth of the ribs likely results in the ribs joining the sternum unevenly and causing distortion [55].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive Evolution of the Hox Gene Family for Development in Bats and Dolphins

et al. 2013

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Bats and cetaceans (i.e., whales, dolphins, porpoises) are two kinds of mammals with unique locomotive styles and occupy novel niches. Bats are the only mammals capable of sustained flight in the sky, while cetaceans have returned to the aquatic environment and are specialized for swimming. Associated with these novel adaptations to their environment, various development changes have occurred to their body plans and associated structures. Given the importance of Hox genes in many aspects of embryonic development, we conducted an analysis of the coding regions of all Hox gene family members from bats (represented by Pteropus vampyrus, Pteropus alecto, Myotis lucifugus and Myotis davidii) and cetaceans (represented by Tursiops truncatus) for adaptive evolution using the available draft genome sequences. Differences in the selective pressures acting on many Hox genes in bats and cetaceans were found compared to other mammals. Positive selection, however, was not found to act on any of the Hox genes in the common ancestor of bats and only upon Hoxb9 in cetaceans. PCR amplification data from additional bat and cetacean species, and application of the branch-site test 2, showed that the Hoxb2 gene within bats had significant evidence of positive selection. Thus, our study, with genomic and newly sequenced Hox genes, identifies two candidate Hox genes that may be closely linked with developmental changes in bats and cetaceans, such as those associated with the pancreatic, neuronal, thymus shape and forelimb. In addition, the difference in our results from the genome-wide scan and newly sequenced data reveals that great care must be taken in interpreting results from draft genome data from a limited number of species, and deep genetic sampling of a particular clade is a powerful tool for generating complementary data to address this limitation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive Evolution of the Hox Gene Family for Development in Bats and Dolphins

et al. 2013

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“…In domestic animals, it has been reported in canine, feline, bovine, equine and ovine specimens (Wilson et al 1979, LeCouteur & Grandy 2010 and may be associated with various soft tissue defects including defective innervations of muscle groups, kidney fusion and uterine aplasia (Thompson 2007). Degenerative changes were observed in the spinal column of an 18-yr-old bottlenose dolphin with multiple developmental abnormalities in the axial skeleton (DeLynn et al 2011). In the present case, the cervical vertebra showing spina bifida also had spondyloarthrosis, leading to ankylosis.…”

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confidence: 63%

“…7). A similar condition has been mentioned in literature as a bicipital, bifid or double-headed rib (Turner 1871, Allen 1916, Nishiwaki & Kasuya 1971, Omura et al 1981, DeLynn et al 2011. This developmental abnormality is characterized as the fusion of the first 2 ribs with a cleft in the vertebral end, originating 2 distinct processes that may articulate with the last cervical and first thoracic vertebra or with the first 2 thoracic vertebrae, which has occasionally been observed in large whale skeleton museum specimens, including species such as the North Atlantic right whale (Allen 1916), the southern right whale Eubalaena australis, the blue whale (Turner 1871), the sei whale Balaenoptera borealis (Slijper 1936, Nishiwaki & Kasuya 1971) and Bryde's whale (Slijper 1936, Omura et al 1981.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…To our knowledge, this form of fusion has only been described bilaterally in a blue whale by Slijper (1936). Unilaterally fused fifth and sixth ribs with distinct extremities, associated with a deformed sternum and rib cage distortion, have been reported in the bottlenose dolphin (DeLynn et al 2011). The specimen also presented with bilateral bicipital ribs and severe developmental malformations in the axial skeleton (DeLynn et al 2011).…”

Section: Groch Et Al: Skeletal Abnormalitites In Megaptera Novaeangliaementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unilaterally fused fifth and sixth ribs with distinct extremities, associated with a deformed sternum and rib cage distortion, have been reported in the bottlenose dolphin (DeLynn et al 2011). The specimen also presented with bilateral bicipital ribs and severe developmental malformations in the axial skeleton (DeLynn et al 2011). In the present study, 155 Dis Aquat Org 101: 145-158, 2012 this condition was found unilaterally and bilaterally in specimens with either normal or bicipital rib fusion of the first 2 ribs in the contra lateral side.…”

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Skeletal abnormalities in humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae stranded in the Brazilian breeding ground

Groch

Marcondes²,

Colosio³

et al. 2012

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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Skeletal tissues of 49 humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae that stranded between 2002 and 2011 along the Abrolhos Bank seashore and its adjacent waters in Brazil were studied. Twelve (24.5%) animals presented pathological changes in one or more bones. Degenerative changes and developmental malformations were most frequent (10.2% each), followed by inflammatory/infectious and traumatic lesions (8.2% each). Infectious diseases led to severe lesions of the caudal vertebrae of 2 whales. In one of these individuals, the lesions involved 6 caudal vertebrae, leading to ankylosis of 3 vertebrae. Degenerative changes were observed in the vertebral columns of 3 animals, involving the joints of 13 ribs of 1 individual, and in the humerus of 1 whale. Traumatic lesions, such as osseous callus in the ribs, were observed in 4 animals. In 1 whale, the rib showed severe osteomyelitis, possibly resulting from the infection of multiple fractures. Developmental abnormalities such as spina bifida on 3 cervical vertebrae of 1 whale, fusion of spinal processes on thoracic vertebrae of 1 individual and fusion of the first 2 ribs unilaterally or bilaterally in 4 animals were found. Chronic infectious conditions found in the axial skeleton may have restrained spinal mobility and had detrimental effects on the general health of the animals, contributing to stranding and death. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic study on skeletal lesions in stranded humpback whales.KEY WORDS: Cetacean · Skeletal pathology · Infectious disease · Osteomyelitis · Spondylodiscitis · Degenerative disease · Spondyloarthrosis · Developmental abnormality Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherDis Aquat Org 101: [145][146][147][148][149][150][151][152][153][154][155][156][157][158] 2012 of the animal. However, information on skeletal abnormalities in humpback whales is scarce: 5 single cases have been reported (Stede 1994, Paterson & Van Dyck 1996, Kompanje 1999, Félix et al. 2007, Hellier et al. 2011. Stede (1994) reported osteoperiostitis ossificans hypertrophicans in the caudal vertebra of a humpback whale calf from Germany. Paterson & Van Dyck (1996) described a humpback whale fetus from Australia with injuries consistent with trauma during parturition, such as bilaterally fractured ribs and superficial focally extensive cystic osseous lesions associated with periosteal new bone formation in the supra-orbital region. Hellier et al. (2011) reported the presence of a remodeled lesion ventrally in the maxilla, possibly related to trauma to the baleen plates and/or adjacent soft tissue in a 13.5-m-long humpback whale. The animal also presented bony bridging in the left aspect of the neural arches of 2 cervical vertebrae, and multiple localized areas of reactive bone growth in the vertebral column (Hellier et al. 2011). Spondylo arthritis was suspected to occur in caudal vertebrae of a specimen from Denmark (Kompanje 1999). Severe infectious spondylitis affected 7 lumbar and 4 caudal vertebrae of a 7...

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Aquatic Mammals

Duignan¹

2023

Pathology and Epidemiology of Aquatic Animal Diseases for Practitioners

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Congenital Scoliosis of a Bottlenose Dolphin

Cited by 21 publications

References 8 publications

Adaptive Evolution of the Hox Gene Family for Development in Bats and Dolphins

Adaptive Evolution of the Hox Gene Family for Development in Bats and Dolphins

Skeletal abnormalities in humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae stranded in the Brazilian breeding ground

Aquatic Mammals

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