Abstract
Modern cetaceans possess a suite of morphological adaptations that permit their existence in the marine environment (e.g., Howell, 1930; Slijper, 1936, 1979). Their streamlined body shape, hypertrophied axial musculoskeletal system, thick blubber layer, and de novo dorsal fin and flukes are morphological features that reduce the energetic costs of both swimming (e.g., Fish and Hui, 1991; Williams et al., 1992; Fish, 1993a,b; Pabst, 1996) and whole body thermoregulation (e.g., Worthy and Edwards, 1990; Koopman et al., 1996).
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Pabst, D.A., Rommel, S.A., McLellan, W.A. (1998). Evolution of Thermoregulatory Function in Cetacean Reproductive Systems. In: Thewissen, J.G.M. (eds) The Emergence of Whales. Advances in Vertebrate Paleobiology, vol 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0159-0_13
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