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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Zoological Journal of the Linnean
Society<BR>Published Online: 6 Mar 2009<BR><BR><FONT size=4>The trouble with
flippers: a report on the prevalence of digital anomalies in
Cetacea</FONT><BR>LISA NOELLE COOPER 1,2 * and SUSAN D. DAWSON 3 <BR> 1
Department of Anatomy, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine,
Rootstown, OH 44272, USA <BR> 2 School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State
University, Kent, OH 44240, USA <BR> 3 Department of Biomedical Sciences,
University of Prince Edward Island Atlantic Veterinary College, Charlottetown,
Canada <BR>Correspondence to *E-mail: <A
href="mailto:l.noelle.cooper@gmail.com">l.noelle.cooper@gmail.com</A>
<BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>ABSTRACT</STRONG><BR>The forelimbs of
cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) are unique among mammals as the
digits exhibit hyperphalangy, and the entire limb is encased in a soft tissue
flipper that functions to generate lift. The typical morphology of cetacean
digits has been well documented by detailed anatomical studies. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This study however furthers our understanding of
cetacean forelimb anatomy by conducting a taxonomically broad survey of cetacean
digital anomalies. </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Forelimb radiographs from museum collections
provided the basis upon which we calculated the prevalence and documented the
morphology of cetacean digital abnormalities. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Results indicated that 11% (n = 255) of toothed
whales displayed some type of aberrant ossification: the majority of these cases
displayed a fusion of elements within a single digital ray, whereas cases
exhibiting branched digits were rare. </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A small sample of baleen whale radiographs (n = 6)
contained the only documented case of baleen whale polydactyly in a specimen of
the gray whale (Eschrichtius). </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Furthermore, some Balaenoptera specimens displayed
ossified elements within the interdigital spaces that lacked attachment to the
adjacent digits and carpus. In addition, we speculated on the role that several
genes may have played in creating cetacean digital
anomalies.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>