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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1971 Oct;68(10):2381–2385. doi: 10.1073/pnas.68.10.2381

The Cochlea of the Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus: General Morphology*

Ernest Glen Wever 1, James G McCormick 1,, Jerry Palin 1, Sam H Ridgway 1,
PMCID: PMC389427  PMID: 16591947

Abstract

The anatomy of the cochlea of the dolphin Tursiops truncatus was studied in a number of specimens after fixation by vital perfusion, cellodin embedding, and serial sectioning. The results reveal the general structural relations and cellular detail up to the limits of light microscopy. A description is given of the variations of structure along the course of the cochlea, in which there are many departures from the typical mammalian form, especially in the compact quality of the tissues and the sturdiness of its elements. Apparently these features represent an adaptation of the cetacean ear to the reception of high-frequency sounds.

Keywords: organ of Corti, ear, light microscopy

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  1. McCormick J. G., Wever E. G., Palin J. Sound conduction in the dolphin ear. J Acoust Soc Am. 1970 Dec;48(6 Suppl):1418+–1418+. doi: 10.1121/1.1912302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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