Monachus tropicalis

Adam, Peter

doi:10.1644/747

Cited by 13 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…We also identified nine fossils representing dates for the most recent common ancestors of crown clades from the literature and used them as calibration points in our dating analyses. The tropical monk seal, Monachus tropicalis, has been extinct since the mid-20th century (Adam, 2004) and no molecular data are available for this species. We therefore substituted sequences for the Hawaiian monk seal, Monachus schauinslandi.…”

Section: Comparative Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Aquatic adaptations in the nose of carnivorans: evidence from the turbinates

Valkenburgh¹,

Curtis²,

Samuels³

et al. 2011

Journal of Anatomy

111

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Inside the mammalian nose lies a labyrinth of bony plates covered in epithelium collectively known as turbinates. Respiratory turbinates lie anteriorly and aid in heat and water conservation, while more posterior olfactory turbinates function in olfaction. Previous observations on a few carnivorans revealed that aquatic species have relatively large, complex respiratory turbinates and greatly reduced olfactory turbinates compared with terrestrial species. Body heat is lost more quickly in water than air and increased respiratory surface area likely evolved to minimize heat loss. At the same time, olfactory surface area probably diminished due to a decreased reliance on olfaction when foraging under water. To explore how widespread these adaptations are, we documented scaling of respiratory and olfactory turbinate surface area with body size in a variety of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine carnivorans, including pinnipeds, mustelids, ursids, and procyonids. Surface areas were estimated from high-resolution CT scans of dry skulls, a novel approach that enabled a greater sampling of taxa than is practical with fresh heads. Total turbinate, respiratory, and olfactory surface areas correlate well with body size (r 2 ‡ 0.7), and are relatively smaller in larger species. Relative to body mass or skull length, aquatic species have significantly less olfactory surface area than terrestrial species. Furthermore, the ratio of olfactory to respiratory surface area is associated with habitat. Using phylogenetic comparative methods, we found strong support for convergence on 1 : 3 proportions in aquatic taxa and near the inverse in terrestrial taxa, indicating that aquatic mustelids and pinnipeds independently acquired similar proportions of olfactory to respiratory turbinates. Constraints on turbinate surface area in the nasal chamber may result in a trade-off between respiratory and olfactory function in aquatic mammals.

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Section: Comparative Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Aquatic adaptations in the nose of carnivorans: evidence from the turbinates

Valkenburgh¹,

Curtis²,

Samuels³

et al. 2011

Journal of Anatomy

111

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“…*Canines of Caribbean monk seals have been found in 2 undated sites in Texas, but they may represent trade items of North American indigenous people or colonial Spaniards (Raun ; Adam ).…”

Section: Prehistoric Recordmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Understanding the causes and consequences of the extinction of species, particularly those associated with human presence, is a priority for conservation science. The current mainstream view is that the Caribbean monk seal was a widely distributed and relatively abundant species in the region when Columbus first arrived in the Americas (Allen ; Timm et al ; Adam ). Its extinction is blamed on intensive hunting for oil extraction during early colonial times (Adam ; Adam & García ; McClenachan & Cooper ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The current mainstream view is that the Caribbean monk seal was a widely distributed and relatively abundant species in the region when Columbus first arrived in the Americas (Allen ; Timm et al ; Adam ). Its extinction is blamed on intensive hunting for oil extraction during early colonial times (Adam ; Adam & García ; McClenachan & Cooper ). The capture and killing of seals for scientific collections (Allen ; Ward ; Allen ) also contributed to their extincton.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Shifting Baselines and The Extinction of The Caribbean Monk Seal

Baisre¹

2013

Conservation Biology

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The recent extinction of the Caribbean monk seal Monachus tropicalis has been considered an example of a human-caused extinction in the marine environment, and this species was considered a driver of the changes that have occurred in the structure of Caribbean coral reef ecosystems since colonial times. I searched archaeological records, historical data, and geographic names (used as a proxy of the presence of seals) and evaluated the use and quality of these data to conclude that since prehistoric times the Caribbean monk seal was always rare and vulnerable to human predation. This finding supports the hypothesis that in AD 1500, the Caribbean monk seal persisted as a small fragmented population in which individuals were confined to small keys, banks, or isolated islands in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. This hypothesis is contrary to the assumption that the species was widespread and abundant historically. The theory that the main driver of monk seal extinction was harvesting for its oil for use in the sugar cane industry of Jamaica during the 18th century is based primarily on anecdotal information and is overemphasized in the literature. An analysis of reported human encounters with this species indicates monk seal harvest was an occasional activity, rather than an ongoing enterprise. Nevertheless, given the rarity of this species and its restricted distribution, even small levels of hunting or specimen collecting must have contributed to its extinction, which was confirmed in the mid-20th century. Some sources had been overlooked or only partially reviewed, others misinterpreted, and a considerable amount of anecdotal information had been uncritically used. Critical examination of archaeological and historical records is required to infer accurate estimations of the historical abundance of a species. In reconstructing the past to address the shifting baseline syndrome, it is important to avoid selecting evidence to confirm modern prejudices.

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“…Considering the previous studies, certain characteristics, lifestyles, the territorial zones (1,2,3,5,7,20) and behavior properties (10,28) of the endangered species were studied. Also the morphology of the female genital organs (4), osteoporosis cases (24), calculation of the survival rate based on certain physical features (6), the relationship between mastication and the masticatory muscles (14), infections (29) and computed tomography of the cranium (13) were already researched.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Craniometric measurements and some anatomical characteristics of the cranium in Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus, Hermann 1779)

Çakir¹,

Yildirim²,

Ekim³

2012

Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi

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Summary:Mediterranean monk seal is one of the endangered species and it is estimated that the total number of this aquatic mammal is less than 600 all over the world. The cranium and the mandible of 2 male and 1 female seals which lived in Turkish coasts and washed ashore as dead were examined morphometrically and macro anatomically. The craniometric measurements were carried out from the reference points. The mean weight of the cranium and the mandible was 1168 g and mean length of the cranium, from acrocranion to prosthion, was 26.86 cm, mean length of the mandible, from condylar process to cranial part of alveolar (infradental) arch, was measured as 20.03 cm. The aim of this study which included 35 parameters for cranium and 11 parameters for mandible was to reveal the morphometric and certain macroanatomic data concerning the Mediterranean monk seal lived in Turkish coasts and to shed a light to the studies on the endangered species.Keywords: Craniometry, cranium, Mediterranean monk seal, morphometry Akdeniz Foku (Monachus monachus, Hermann 1779) kafatasının kraniyometrik ölçüleri ve bazı anatomik özellikleriÖzet: Akdeniz Foku nesli tükenmekte olan hayvanlar arasında bulunan bir deniz memelisidir ve sayısının dünya genelinde 600'den daha az olduğu tahmin edilmektedir. Türkiye kıyılarında yaşamış ve ölü olarak kıyıya vurmuş Akdeniz foklarından 2 erkek, 1 dişi olmak üzere toplam 3 adet ergin hayvanın cranium ve mandibula'ları morfometrik ve makroanatomik olarak değerlendirilmiş ve referans gösterilen noktalardan kafatası ölçümleri alınmıştır. Kafatasının mandibula ile birlikte ortalama ağırlığı 1168 gr, kafatasının ortalama uzunluğu (akrokranion'dan -prosthion'a) 26,86 cm, mandibula uzunluğu da [processus condylaris'ten -arcus alveolaris'in ön ucuna (infradentale)] ortalama 20,03 cm olarak ölçülmüştür. Kafatasında 35, mandibula'da 11 parametrenin alındığı bu çalışmanın amacı, Türkiye kıyılarında yaşayan Akdeniz Foklarının kafatasına ait morfometrik ve bazı makro anatomik bilgileri ortaya koymak, ayrıca nesli tükenmekte olan hayvanlarda yürütülen çalışmalara ışık tutmaktır.

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Monachus tropicalis

Cited by 13 publications

References 44 publications

Aquatic adaptations in the nose of carnivorans: evidence from the turbinates

Aquatic adaptations in the nose of carnivorans: evidence from the turbinates

Shifting Baselines and The Extinction of The Caribbean Monk Seal

Craniometric measurements and some anatomical characteristics of the cranium in Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus, Hermann 1779)

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