Eye Histology and Ganglion Cell Topography of Northern Elephant Seals ( Mirounga angustirostris)
ABSTRACT Northern elephant seals are one of the deepest diving marine mammals. As northern elephant seals often reach the bathypelagic zone, it is usually assumed that their eyes possess evolutionary adaptations that provide better ability to see in dim or scotopic environments. The purpose of this...
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crwiley:10.1002/ar.23342 2024-06-02T08:06:01+00:00 Eye Histology and Ganglion Cell Topography of Northern Elephant Seals ( Mirounga angustirostris) Smodlaka, Hrvoje Khamas, Wael A. Palmer, Lauren Lui, Bryan Borovac, Josip A. Cohn, Brian A. Schmitz, Lars CA Technologies 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ar.23342 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Far.23342 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ar.23342 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor The Anatomical Record volume 299, issue 6, page 798-805 ISSN 1932-8486 1932-8494 journal-article 2016 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.23342 2024-05-03T11:47:10Z ABSTRACT Northern elephant seals are one of the deepest diving marine mammals. As northern elephant seals often reach the bathypelagic zone, it is usually assumed that their eyes possess evolutionary adaptations that provide better ability to see in dim or scotopic environments. The purpose of this study was to carefully describe anatomical and histological traits of the eye that may improve light sensitivity. Northern elephant seals have large, somewhat elliptical eyes, with equatorial and anteroposterior diameters of 5.03 and 4.4 cm, respectively. The cornea is large in diameter and the lens is completely spherical. The iris has pronounced constrictor and dilator muscles, whereas the ciliary muscle is notably less developed. The tapetum lucidum is more prominent than in other pinnipeds, making up about 63% of retinal thickness in the posterior aspect of the globe. Within the retina, the pigmented epithelium lacks pigment except for the region close to the ora serrata. Parts of the photoreceptor and outer nuclear layers are folded. Although the photoreceptor layer is composed predominantly of rods, cone photoreceptors were also observed. Cells within the retinal ganglion cell layer are arranged in a single level. Ganglion cells reach their maximum density (∼1,300 cells per mm 2 ) dorsal to the optic disc, whereas the periphery of the retina is sparsely populated (<100 cells per mm 2 ). All above mentioned features are consistent with the predicted evolutionary adaptations to the photic environment of the bathypelagic zone. Anat Rec, 299:798–805, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Article in Journal/Newspaper Elephant Seals Wiley Online Library Ora ENVELOPE(7.517,7.517,62.581,62.581) The Anatomical Record 299 6 798 805 |
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Open Polar |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
ABSTRACT Northern elephant seals are one of the deepest diving marine mammals. As northern elephant seals often reach the bathypelagic zone, it is usually assumed that their eyes possess evolutionary adaptations that provide better ability to see in dim or scotopic environments. The purpose of this study was to carefully describe anatomical and histological traits of the eye that may improve light sensitivity. Northern elephant seals have large, somewhat elliptical eyes, with equatorial and anteroposterior diameters of 5.03 and 4.4 cm, respectively. The cornea is large in diameter and the lens is completely spherical. The iris has pronounced constrictor and dilator muscles, whereas the ciliary muscle is notably less developed. The tapetum lucidum is more prominent than in other pinnipeds, making up about 63% of retinal thickness in the posterior aspect of the globe. Within the retina, the pigmented epithelium lacks pigment except for the region close to the ora serrata. Parts of the photoreceptor and outer nuclear layers are folded. Although the photoreceptor layer is composed predominantly of rods, cone photoreceptors were also observed. Cells within the retinal ganglion cell layer are arranged in a single level. Ganglion cells reach their maximum density (∼1,300 cells per mm 2 ) dorsal to the optic disc, whereas the periphery of the retina is sparsely populated (<100 cells per mm 2 ). All above mentioned features are consistent with the predicted evolutionary adaptations to the photic environment of the bathypelagic zone. Anat Rec, 299:798–805, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. |
author2 |
CA Technologies |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Smodlaka, Hrvoje Khamas, Wael A. Palmer, Lauren Lui, Bryan Borovac, Josip A. Cohn, Brian A. Schmitz, Lars |
spellingShingle |
Smodlaka, Hrvoje Khamas, Wael A. Palmer, Lauren Lui, Bryan Borovac, Josip A. Cohn, Brian A. Schmitz, Lars Eye Histology and Ganglion Cell Topography of Northern Elephant Seals ( Mirounga angustirostris) |
author_facet |
Smodlaka, Hrvoje Khamas, Wael A. Palmer, Lauren Lui, Bryan Borovac, Josip A. Cohn, Brian A. Schmitz, Lars |
author_sort |
Smodlaka, Hrvoje |
title |
Eye Histology and Ganglion Cell Topography of Northern Elephant Seals ( Mirounga angustirostris) |
title_short |
Eye Histology and Ganglion Cell Topography of Northern Elephant Seals ( Mirounga angustirostris) |
title_full |
Eye Histology and Ganglion Cell Topography of Northern Elephant Seals ( Mirounga angustirostris) |
title_fullStr |
Eye Histology and Ganglion Cell Topography of Northern Elephant Seals ( Mirounga angustirostris) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Eye Histology and Ganglion Cell Topography of Northern Elephant Seals ( Mirounga angustirostris) |
title_sort |
eye histology and ganglion cell topography of northern elephant seals ( mirounga angustirostris) |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ar.23342 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Far.23342 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ar.23342 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(7.517,7.517,62.581,62.581) |
geographic |
Ora |
geographic_facet |
Ora |
genre |
Elephant Seals |
genre_facet |
Elephant Seals |
op_source |
The Anatomical Record volume 299, issue 6, page 798-805 ISSN 1932-8486 1932-8494 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.23342 |
container_title |
The Anatomical Record |
container_volume |
299 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
798 |
op_container_end_page |
805 |
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1800750909451403264 |