Breaking symmetry: The marine environment, prey size, and the evolution of asymmetry in cetacean skulls

• Published in: The Anatomical Record
• Main Authors: Macleod, C.D., Reidenberg, J.S., Weller, M., Santos, M.B., Herman, J., Goold, J., Pierce, G.J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2007
• Subjects: Nares; Northeast Atlantic; toothed whales
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ar.20539; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Far.20539; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ar.20539

Abstract Skulls of odontocetes (toothed whales, including dolphins and porpoises) are typified by directional asymmetry, particularly in elements associated with the airway. Generally, it is assumed this asymmetry is related to biosonar production. However, skull asymmetry may actually be a by‐produ...