Marine mammal chemoreception

• Published in: Mammal Review
• Main Authors: LOWELL, W. R., FLANIGAN, W. F.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1980
• Subjects: baleen whales; toothed whales
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2907.1980.tb00233.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2907.1980.tb00233.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2907.1980.tb00233.x

Abstract The presence or absence of a chemoreceptive capacity in marine mammals has drawn relatively little attention from the research community outside the Soviet Union. Toothed whales are typically labelled anosmic (lacking a sense of smell) since they do not have the peripheral olfactory structures typically associated with terrestrial mammals. Baleen whales are known to possess reduced olfactory tracts; their olfactory bulbs also may be reduced or absent. Although the neural structures that mediate taste in terrestrial mammals have been reported to be present in both groups of whales, cetaceans have been considered to have a poor sense of taste because typical mammalian taste receptors have been thought to be absent. Soviet researchers, however, recently have reported that gustatory receptors are present on some cetacean tongues and that the tongue of Tursiops truncatus appear to be well innervated. These workers also have been conducting investigations which seem to be aimed at describing a specialized gustatory capability in cetaceans. No experimental work has been reported by Western scientists. Little work has been done by either Western or Soviet researchers with regard to chemoreception among the other orders of marine mammals (Pinnipedia, Carnivora and Sirenia). Pinnipedia are typically labelled microsmatic (having a poor sense of smell); research has been restricted to histological examination of the nasal pathways, and neural anatomy. Sea otters are credited with a keen sense of smell, but no quantitative work has been reported. The chemosensory abilities of Sirenia remain unknown. The tongues of non‐cetacean marine mammals have been histologically examined and found to resemble those of terrestrial mammals. No other investigations of gustation in non‐cetacean marine mammals have been reported.