Synonyms
Definition
The morphology, physiology, and behavioral aspects of cetacean movement through water.
Introduction
Cetaceans have evolved to thrive in their own unique environment. They carry out all aspects of their lives in water, unlike other marine mammals, such as seals and sea lions (pinnipeds), otters (mustelids), and polar bears (Ursus maritimus), who exit their aquatic environment periodically to mate, raise young, rest, or thermoregulate. Transportation via water is economical for cetaceans because less energy is spent supporting the weight of their body (Fish 1993). Cetaceans are neutrally buoyant in water because their body tissues have similar densities to the water they live in. Movement underwater is also advantageous because it is easier to generate propulsion (Fish 1993). The challenge of living full-time in water, however, is these animals are subject to a greater amount of drag forces that act upon them as they move through their environment because...
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Macgregor, R. (2022). Cetacean Locomotion. In: Vonk, J., Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55065-7_994
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55065-7_994
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