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Dorsal surface of the South American fur seal tongue isolated from the oral cavity: (1) base; (2) body; (3) vertex (blunt and slightly bifid); (4) black coloration; (5) tongue ridge.
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Simple Summary
Marine mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates that behave in the same way as land mammals do but they spend most or all of their lives in the ocean. There is much previous research on whales, dolphins, or even different types of seals, including their behavior, health, anatomy or perception. Between all these fields, it is commonly acc...
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Simple Summary
It is normally recognized that anatomy is crucial for an improved knowledge of many physiological adaptations. In the case of marine mammals, their ability to dive for long periods of time is especially striking. They spend most of their lives in water, although in general terms, they behave and have characteristics very similar to t...
Citations
... The present study focused on the South American fur seal or Arctocephalus australis, an otariid included in the taxonomic family of pinnipeds (Order Carnivora), such as the dog or the cat [6,7]. Surprisingly, although it is generally accepted that anatomy is crucial to a better understanding of different physiological adaptations [2], and although studies on the physiology of diving are numerous [1,[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19], only a small number of them analyze the anatomical characteristics of marine mammals [5,[20][21][22][23][24], and even fewer are focused on the anatomy of the respiratory system [2,3,[25][26][27]. ...
Simple Summary
It is normally recognized that anatomy is crucial for an improved knowledge of many physiological adaptations. In the case of marine mammals, their ability to dive for long periods of time is especially striking. They spend most of their lives in water, although in general terms, they behave and have characteristics very similar to those of land mammals. Our results demonstrate that, due to its capacity to stay under water, the respiratory apparatus of the South American fur seal shows specific characteristics. Yet, in general terms, being a carnivore seems to be the main characteristic of this species, and the adaptations to the aquatic environment being less important.
Abstract
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 Arctocephalus australis, a carnivore included in the pinnipeds group. We assessed whether the anatomical features of the Arctocephalus australis’ 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 Arctocephalus australis, which included adult (n = 2) and juvenile (n = 9) individuals, by anatomically dissecting their isolated entire respiratory system. Although it is generally similar to that in land-carnivores, we demonstrated that the Arctocephalus australis’s respiratory apparatus shows several specific characteristics. Therefore, our results are of great importance for clinical diagnostic and wildlife conservation purposes.
Objectives
Proximal duodenal ulceration is often characterised by continuous bleeding, and treatment is challenging. The aims of this study were to investigate the role of vascularisation in proximal duodenal ulceration and describe clinical aspects, endoscopic features and treatment in dogs.
Material and Methods
Polyurethane foam casts of gastroduodenal vessels were obtained from five dogs which had died from disorders unrelated to the digestive system. In addition, 12 dogs having proximal duodenal ulcers diagnosed by endoscopic examination were enrolled in a treatment trial. After the endoscopic diagnosis of a duodenal ulcer, all the dogs were treated medically and, in the absence of resolution, were subsequently treated by endoscopic electrocauterisation or by surgery.
Results
A submucosal vascular network was evident in all the casts, with a prominent venous plexus seen exclusively in the first half inch of the duodenum. In clinical cases, on endoscopic examination, the duodenal ulcer was located at the proximal part of the duodenum, involving the mesenteric portion of the wall. The dogs not responding to medical treatment (6/12) were treated with endoscopic electrocauterisation, surgical coagulation or resection of the proximal duodenal portion. All the dogs survived until discharge, and the median survival time following discharge was 107.5 days.
Clinical Significance
Based on the anatomical details highlighted in this study, the continuous bleeding observed in our patients may have been due to the prominent venous plexus evidenced at the level of the proximal duodenum. Surgical and endoscopic treatments in six patients resolved the ulcer bleeding with no recurrences noted during follow‐up.
