Abstract
Tactile hair, or vibrissae, are a mammalian characteristic found on many mammals (Ahl, Veterinary Research Communications 10(4): 245–268. 1986). Vibrissae differ from ordinary (pelagic) hair by being longer and thicker, having large follicles containing blood-filled sinus tissues, and by having an identifiable representation in the somatosensory cortex. Here we provide a brief comparative and ethological review of the role of vibrissae in the life of small terrestrial mammals.
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Internal References
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Prescott, T.J., Mitchinson, B., Grant, R.A. (2016). Vibrissal Behavior and Function. In: Prescott, T., Ahissar, E., Izhikevich, E. (eds) Scholarpedia of Touch. Scholarpedia. Atlantis Press, Paris. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-133-8_7
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