The Respiratory System of the <i>Arctocephalus australis</i> in Comparison to the Dog as a Land-Carnivore: Are There Adaptations to Marine Life?
2023
Ignacio Molpeceres-Diego | Rosario Martín-Orti | Juan-Pablo Loureiro | Carlos Tostado-Marcos | Enrique Tendillo-Domínguez | Inmaculada Santos-Álvarez | Pilar Pérez-Lloret | Juncal González-Soriano
Marine mammals are divided into three groups, with similar adaptations resulting from their aquatic lifestyle: sirenians, pinnipeds, and cetaceans. The present work focused on the South American fur seal, or <i>Arctocephalus australis</i>, a carnivore included in the pinnipeds group. We assessed whether the anatomical features of the <i>Arctocephalus australis’</i> respiratory system are comparable to those of other land-carnivores or whether these individuals show anatomical adaptations related to their ability to dive or their breath-holding capacities. We studied 11 cadavers of <i>Arctocephalus australis</i>, which included adult (<i>n</i> = 2) and juvenile (<i>n</i> = 9) individuals, by anatomically dissecting their isolated entire respiratory system. Although it is generally similar to that in land-carnivores, we demonstrated that the <i>Arctocephalus australis</i>’s respiratory apparatus shows several specific characteristics. Therefore, our results are of great importance for clinical diagnostic and wildlife conservation purposes.
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