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Related Experiment Videos

Heart development in the spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata).

David Sedmera1, Ivan Misek, Milan Klima

  • 1Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA. sedmera@musc.edu

The Anatomical Record. Part A, Discoveries in Molecular, Cellular, and Evolutionary Biology
|July 8, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Dolphin heart development shows delayed trabecular compaction and a transient bifid apex, similar to early fetal mammals. This unique cardiac development in Cetaceans offers insights into aquatic adaptations.

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Area of Science:

  • Marine biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Comparative anatomy

Background:

  • Cetaceans exhibit unique adaptations to aquatic environments, including unusual anatomical features.
  • Some adult cetacean hearts display a bifid apex, a trait typically seen in early mammalian embryogenesis.
  • Limited data exists on cetacean heart development, leaving the prevalence and significance of the bifid apex unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the normal cardiac development in the spotted dolphin (a type of Cetacean).
  • To determine the developmental timeline of heart septation and apex formation in dolphins.
  • To clarify whether a bifid apex is a common feature during dolphin gestation.

Main Methods:

  • Macroscopic and histological examination of embryonic dolphin specimens.

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  • Analysis of cardiac development throughout the 280-day gestation period.
  • Comparison of developmental stages with established timelines in other mammalian species.

    • Main Results:

    • Dolphin heart septation is completed around 35 days of gestation.
    • Trabecular compaction is delayed until approximately 60 days, coinciding with coronary circulation establishment.
    • A bifid apex is observed at 60 days, resolving to a single apex by 80 days of gestation.

    Conclusions:

    • The spotted dolphin heart undergoes a distinct developmental process with delayed trabecular compaction.
    • The transient bifid apex in developing dolphins resembles early stages in other mammals.
    • The presence of a bifid apex in adult cetaceans may be species-specific and its functional significance requires further investigation.