[MARMAM] New publication on dolphin vertebral morphology

[María Constanza Marchesi]

Dear colleagues,

My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of the following 
open access article in Frontiers in Marine Science:

Marchesi MC, Mora MS, Dans SL, Coscarella MA and González-José R (2020) 
Vertebral Morphology in Partially Sympatric Dolphins: A 3D Approach. Front. 
Mar. Sci. 7:581762. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2020.581762

ABSTRACT: In cetaceans, increased body flexibility is associated with increased 
maneuverability, this affects the animal’s swimming speed and foraging 
behavior. A more stable body form is associated with fast swimming and wide 
turns. One factor that affects the flexibility of a cetacean’s body is the 
structure and interaction of its vertebrae. Differences in vertebral morphology 
confer different muscular insertion sites and affect mechanical properties of 
swimming muscles. We studied vertebral morphology in four closely related and 
partially sympatric dolphin species from the Southern Hemisphere: Commerson’s 
dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii), Peale’s dolphin (Lagenorhynchus 
australis), the dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) and the hourglass 
dolphin (Lagenorhynchus cruciger). The former two species are usually 
considered coastal, associated with complex habitats where foraging strategies 
require greater maneuverability; they also show plasticity in their prey 
preferences. The latter two species are considered fast-swimming cooperative 
feeders, with long distance movements reflecting prey availability in pelagic 
habitats. We employed three-dimensional (3D) geometric morphometric techniques 
and multivariate analyses to evaluate differences in vertebral morphology. Our 
analyses tested whether particular morphologies that limit or enhance 
flexibility were associated with preferred habitats and feeding strategies. We 
established links between morphology and behavioral patterns based on the 
biomechanical significance of specific vertebral morphological features. 
Principal component analyses (PCA) showed great differentiation between species 
in all the studied regions along the vertebral column. This was especially 
evident in the middle area, except in the case of dusky and hourglass dolphins 
which showed no discernible morphological difference in their mid-column 
vertebrae. PCA results were supported by statistically significant Mahalanobis 
distances (MD) between species. Species associated with complex habitats and 
behaviors possessed morphological features associated with greater flexibility 
of the column (i.e., spool-shaped vertebrae with short erect processes), 
whereas cooperative-feeder species possessed features associated with greater 
stability (i.e., disk-shaped vertebrae with long strongly bent processes). In 
these closely related and partially sympatric dolphins, vertebral morphology is 
distinctive and varies with the differential foraging strategies and habitat of 
each species. These findings reveal morphological plasticity among these 
dolphin species, highlighting the importance of behavioral complexity and of 
habitat use in the evolutionary development of morphological adaptations.
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You can find the article in the following link 
:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.581762/full 


For questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me 
(marches...@gmail.com )


Regards


Dra. María Constanza (Kata) Marchesi
Becaria Posdoctoral / Postdoctoral fellow

Laboratorio de Mamíferos Marinos (LAMAMA)
Centro para el Estudio de los Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR)
CCT CONICET-CENPAT
Blvd. Brown 2915
U9120ACD Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
Phone: +54 280 488-3184/488-3185 (ext 1330)
www.lamama.com.ar 

Research Gate Profile: www.researchgate.net/profile/Maria_Constanza_Marchesi

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better"








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[MARMAM] New Publication FUNCTIONAL SUBDIVISION OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN IN FOUR SOUTH AMERICAN DOLPHINS (Mastozoologia Neotropical)

[María Constanza Marchesi]

Dear Colleagues,

My coauthors and I are very pleased to announce the online publication of our 
paper in Mastozoología Neotropical entitled: FUNCTIONAL SUBDIVISION OF THE 
VERTEBRAL COLUMN IN FOUR SOUTH AMERICAN DOLPHINS by M.C. Marchesi, M. S. Mora, 
E. A. Crespo, C. Boy, R. González-José and R.N.P Goodall, 
doi.org/10.31687/saremMN.18.25.2.0.12 

ABSTRACT. Description and functional interpretation of morphological variation 
in the dolphin column can be facilitated by recognizing structural units. This 
information offers important clues to the proportion of the column involved in 
the oscillation and displacement of the ukes, and how swimming style can vary 
among species. Thus, the morphological characterization and functional 
subdivision of the vertebral column is of key importance to gain insights into 
the locomotor performance of cetacean species occurring in di erent environ- 
ments. We employed traditional morphometrics to establish the functional 
subdivision of the vertebral column of Commerson’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus 
commersonii), a coastal species, and the dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus 
obscurus), a shelf species. These species are closely related, and some of them 
are partially sympatric. We also compared the obtained results against 
information previously reported by Marchesi et al (2017) on Peale’s dolphin 
(Lagenorhynchus australis), a coastal species, and the hourglass dolphin 
(Lagenorhynchus cruciger), an oceanic species. These results bring further 
support to our hypothesis that coastal species have morphological traits 
associated with higher flexibility, whilst platform and oceanic species have 
features associated with higher stability in a greater proportion of their 
column.

You can access the article at: 
http://www.sarem.org.ar/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/SAREM_MastNeotrop_en-prensa_Marchesi.pdf

You can request a pdf copy by emailing me: marches...@gmail.com

Regards,

Lic. María Constanza Marchesi
Doctoral Fellow, Laboratorio de Mamíferos Marinos, Centro para el Estudio de 
los Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR, CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Argentina
Lic. María Constanza Marchesi
Becaria Doctoral/Doctoral Fellow

Laboratorio de Mamíferos Marinos (LAMAMA)
Centro para el Estudio de los Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR)
CCT CENPAT-CONICET
Blvd. Brown 2915
U9120ACD Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

Research Gate Profile: www.researchgate.net/profile/Maria_Constanza_Marchesi











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[MARMAM] New Publication on Long-finned pilot whale skull morphometry, MarMamSci

[María Constanza Marchesi]

Dear Colleagues,

We are happy to announce the publication of our note in Marine Mammal Science 
entitled: "Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas, Traill 1809) subspecies 
in the Atlantic Ocean: Are there differences in their skulls?” by T.I. Marina, 
M.C. Marchesi and R.N.P Goodall, DOI: 10./mms.12548.

In this note, we employed traditional morphometrics to characterize in detail 
the skull morphometry of the two subspecies of long-finned pilot whale (G. 
melas melas and G. melas edwardii) in the Atlantic Ocean and compare them in 
order to provide new information about their cranial structure, as well as to 
contribute to the taxonomic resolution of the subspecies. We hypothesized 
morphometric differences in the skull of both subspecies, based on the fact 
that they are completely isolated and on the presence of analogous skull 
distinction in the short- and long-finned pilot whale species, and in the 
eastern and western North Atlantic populations of the long-finned pilot whale. 
This is the first study that characterizes and compares the skull morphometry 
of the two long-finned pilot whale subspecies in detail. Our results lead to 
the conclusion that these subspecies exhibit significant differences in skull 
morphology in the Atlantic Ocean. Furthermore, we suggest functional 
implications for feeding habits, diving behavior and sound production that 
should be tested in future studies.

You can access the article 
at:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10./mms.12548

If you cannot download the publication, you can request a pdf copy by emailing 
the leading author: tomasimar...@gmail.com


Regards,

Lic. María Constanza Marchesi
Doctoral Fellow, Laboratorio de Mamíferos Marinos, Centro para el Estudio de 
los Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR, CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Argentina


> 
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[MARMAM] Request for Lagenorhynchus cruciger information – working paper

[María Constanza Marchesi]

I would appreciate if you could add this message in a future issue.


Thank you very much



Subject: Request for Lagenorhynchus cruciger information – working paper.


My name is María Constanza Marchesi, I am an undergraduate biology student
from Argentina. Right now I am working on my thesis work on the
biomechanical properties of the vertebral column of two dolphin species
belonging to the genus *Lagenorhynchus. *I am also working with Dr. RNP
Goodall on a new paper about the osteology of the hourglass dolphin
*Lagenorhynchus
cruciger.*  This is a circumpolar species and there is not much information
available so we are looking for any information about this species for the
period 1997 - 2011: sightings, specimens found (collected or not collected)
but specially information regarding the osteology of this species (cranial
measurements based on Perrin 1987 when possible but especially vertebral
counts and post cranial measurements and meristics based on Perrin 1987)
We are also asking for a particular publication: Miyazaki N; Shikano C
(1997) Preliminary study on comparative skull morphology and vertebral
formula among the six species of the genus Lagenorhynchus (Cetacea :
Delphinidae). Mammalia, vol. 61, no4, pp. 573-587. We have written to the
first author but apparently there is a failure with the email address.

Any help would be a huge help! Please contact me: marches...@gmail.com.

Thank you

Best Regards

-- 
*María Constanza Marchesi

Museo Acatushún de Aves y Mamíferos Marinos (AMMA)
Tierra del Fuego, Argentina*
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