The auditory anatomy of the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) : a potential fatty sound reception pathway in a baleen whale
The auditory anatomy of the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) : a potential fatty sound reception pathway in a baleen whale
Date
2012-05-12
Authors
Yamato, Maya
Ketten, Darlene R.
Arruda, Julie
Cramer, Scott R.
Moore, Kathleen M. T.
Ketten, Darlene R.
Arruda, Julie
Cramer, Scott R.
Moore, Kathleen M. T.
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DOI
10.1002/ar.22459
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Keywords
Cetacea
Mysticete
Hearing
Ear
Acoustic fat
Imaging
Mysticete
Hearing
Ear
Acoustic fat
Imaging
Abstract
Cetaceans possess highly derived auditory systems adapted for underwater hearing. Odontoceti (toothed whales) are thought to receive sound through specialized fat bodies that contact the tympanoperiotic complex, the bones housing the middle and inner ears. However, sound reception pathways remain unknown in Mysticeti (baleen whales), which have very different cranial anatomies compared to odontocetes. Here, we report a potential fatty sound reception pathway in the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), a mysticete of the balaenopterid family. The cephalic anatomy of seven minke whales was investigated using computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, verified through dissections. Findings include a large, well-formed fat body lateral, dorsal, and posterior to the mandibular ramus and lateral to the tympanoperiotic complex. This fat body inserts into the tympanoperiotic complex at the lateral aperture between the tympanic and periotic bones and is in contact with the ossicles. There is also a second, smaller body of fat found within the tympanic bone, which contacts the ossicles as well. This is the first analysis of these fatty tissues' association with the auditory structures in a mysticete, providing anatomical evidence that fatty sound reception pathways may not be a unique feature of odontocete cetaceans.
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Author Posting. © John Wiley & Sons, 2012. This article is posted here under terms and conditions set forth in the Wiley Online Library. The definitive version was published in The Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology 295 (2012): 991-998, doi:10.1002/ar.22459.
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The Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology 295 (2012): 991-998