Comparative histology of muscle in free ranging cetaceans: shallow versus deep diving species

Sierra, Eva; Fernández, Antonio; Monteros, A. Espinosa de los; Díaz‐Delgado, Josué; Quirós, Yara Bernaldo de; García‐Álvarez, Natalia; Arbelo, Manuel; Herráez, P.

doi:10.1038/srep15909

Cited by 17 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Regular reliance on anaerobic respiration may also account for several intriguing findings in previous studies [ 21 , 74 , 91 ] where high proportions of Type II glycolytic muscle fibers were found in the epaxial muscles of Mesoplodon spp. and Z .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…Finally, these species exhibit considerably lower mitochondrial densities in muscle tissues relative to G . macrorhynchus [ 74 , 91 ]. These metabolic adaptations likely contribute to longer, more efficient dives and are also consistent with the more limited evasive capacities of target prey species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We hypothesize that the smaller body masses and other traits such as high mitochondrial densities [ 60 , 74 , 91 ], may limit the duration of G . macrorhynchus and P .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Physiological, morphological, and ecological tradeoffs influence vertical habitat use of deep-diving toothed-whales in the Bahamas

et al. 2017

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Dive capacity among toothed whales (suborder: Odontoceti) has been shown to generally increase with body mass in a relationship closely linked to the allometric scaling of metabolic rates. However, two odontocete species tagged in this study, the Blainville’s beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris and the Cuvier’s beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris, confounded expectations of a simple allometric relationship, with exceptionally long (mean: 46.1 min & 65.4 min) and deep dives (mean: 1129 m & 1179 m), and comparatively small body masses (med.: 842.9 kg & 1556.7 kg). These two species also exhibited exceptionally long recovery periods between successive deep dives, or inter-deep-dive intervals (M. densirostris: med. 62 min; Z. cavirostris: med. 68 min). We examined competing hypotheses to explain observed patterns of vertical habitat use based on body mass, oxygen binding protein concentrations, and inter-deep-dive intervals in an assemblage of five sympatric toothed whales species in the Bahamas. Hypotheses were evaluated using dive data from satellite tags attached to the two beaked whales (M. densirostris, n = 12; Z. cavirostris, n = 7), as well as melon-headed whales Peponocephala electra (n = 13), short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus (n = 15), and sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus (n = 27). Body mass and myoglobin concentration together explained only 36% of the variance in maximum dive durations. The inclusion of inter-deep-dive intervals, substantially improved model fits (R2 = 0.92). This finding supported a hypothesis that beaked whales extend foraging dives by exceeding aerobic dive limits, with the extension of inter-deep-dive intervals corresponding to metabolism of accumulated lactic acid. This inference points to intriguing tradeoffs between body size, access to prey in different depth strata, and time allocation within dive cycles. These tradeoffs and resulting differences in habitat use have important implications for spatial distribution patterns, and relative vulnerabilities to anthropogenic impacts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Physiological, morphological, and ecological tradeoffs influence vertical habitat use of deep-diving toothed-whales in the Bahamas

et al. 2017

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“…Variations in fiber type composition among marine mammals have been proposed to result from differences in routine dive duration and swimming speed, as well as from age. 16,75,77 Intramyofiber inclusions/deposits were identified with the HE and PAS stains. PAS-positive, diastase-resistant inclusions within skeletal muscles are consistent with deposits of abnormal glycogen, often referred to as a complex polysaccharide.…”

Section: Stranding Epidemiologic Data and Necropsy Examinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Muscle Pathology in Free-Ranging Stranded Cetaceans

et al. 2016

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Despite the profound impact that skeletal muscle disorders may pose for the daily activities of wild terrestrial and marine mammals, such conditions have been rarely described in cetaceans. In this study, the authors aimed to determine the nature and prevalence of skeletal muscle lesions in small and large odontocetes and mysticetes ( n = 153) from 19 different species. A macroscopic evaluation of the epaxial muscle mass and a histologic examination of the longissimus dorsi muscle were performed in all cases. The only macroscopically evident change was variable degrees of atrophy of the epaxial muscles ( longissimus dorsi, multifidus, spinalis) in emaciated specimens. The histopathological study revealed single or combined morphological changes in 91.5% of the cases. These changes included the following: degenerative lesions (75.2%), muscle atrophy (37.9%), chronic myopathic changes (25.5%), parasitic infestation (9.2%), and myositis (1.9%). The skeletal muscle is easily sampled during a necropsy and provides essential microscopic information that reflects both local and systemic conditions. Thus, skeletal muscle should be systematically sampled, processed, and examined in all stranded cetaceans.

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“…Proprioceptors are found in nearly all motile animals, from pubic lice (Graber, 1882) to sperm whales (Sierra et al, 2015). Single-unit electrophysiological recordings have revealed that proprioceptors can vary widely in their mechanical sensitivity and stimulus tuning, even within a single limb segment or muscle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neural Coding of Leg Proprioception in Drosophila

Mamiya

Gurung

Tuthill

2018

Neuron

117

188

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Summary Animals rely on an internal sense of body position and movement to effectively control motor behavior. This sense of proprioception is mediated by diverse populations of mechanosensory neurons distributed throughout the body. Here, we investigate neural coding of leg proprioception in Drosophila, using in vivo two-photon calcium imaging of proprioceptive sensory neurons during controlled movements of the fly tibia. We found that the axons of leg proprioceptors are organized into distinct functional projections that contain topographic representations of specific kinematic features. Using subclass-specific genetic driver lines, we show that one group of axons encodes tibia position (flexion/extension), another encodes movement direction, and a third encodes bidirectional movement and vibration frequency. Overall, our findings reveal how proprioceptive stimuli from a single leg joint are encoded by a diverse population of sensory neurons, and provide a framework for understanding how proprioceptive feedback signals are used by motor circuits to coordinate the body.

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Comparative histology of muscle in free ranging cetaceans: shallow versus deep diving species

Cited by 17 publications

References 33 publications

Physiological, morphological, and ecological tradeoffs influence vertical habitat use of deep-diving toothed-whales in the Bahamas

Physiological, morphological, and ecological tradeoffs influence vertical habitat use of deep-diving toothed-whales in the Bahamas

Muscle Pathology in Free-Ranging Stranded Cetaceans

Neural Coding of Leg Proprioception in Drosophila

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