Anatomical Investigations of Auditory Structures of Beaked Whales

摘要

The objective of this research was to examine the temporal bones and heads of beaked whales stranded in Puerto Rican and nearby Caribbean waters between October, 1999 and May, 2000 in order to determine whether strandings associated with Naval activity have a higher or correlated incidence of auditory pathology. Direct examination, CT scanning when feasible, and gross dissection were used to document and assess the state of the ears and related head structures of stranded beaked whales. If the preservation state warranted further investigation, the inner ears of the animals were extracted for histologic processing.