{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,13]],"date-time":"2026-04-13T00:05:21Z","timestamp":1776038721557,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,27]],"date-time":"2026-03-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774569600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":85,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Science and Engineering Council of Canada","award":["RGPIN-2018-0327"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RGPIN-2018-0327"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,14]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Synopsis<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>In odontocete cetaceans (toothed whales, dolphins, and porpoises), a palatopharyngeal sphincter permanently anchors the laryngeal inlet in the nasopharynx and isolates the airway from the gut tube. Using an MRI data set of a pacific white-sided dolphin (Aethalodelphis obliquidens), together with dissections of the dolphin and two neonatal harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), we show that the sphincter is formed by fusion of part of the superior constrictor of the pharyngeal wall to the soft palate. The part of the superior constrictor that participates in forming the sphincter is brought close to the midline by the presence of palatine plates that: (1) project medially from the ventral aspects of the pterygoid bone on each side, (2) lie caudal to the palatine bones of the hard palate where the soft palate normally attaches in other mammals, and (3) divide rostral parts of the soft palate into a part dorsal to the plates and a part ventral to the plates. Based on the presence and the anatomy of major muscles of the soft palate, we present a biomechanical model for how the palatopharyngeal sphincter functions and is positioned during swallowing and breathing. We conclude that the sphincter is most contracted during swallowing to hold the laryngeal inlet in position while large prey items pass through the laryngopharynx, and is most relaxed during breathing when the laryngeal inlet maximumly opens to allow unrestricted airflow.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/iob\/obag012","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,27]],"date-time":"2026-03-27T12:43:34Z","timestamp":1774615414000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Fusion of the Pharyngeal Wall to the Soft Palate Around the Laryngeal Inlet Isolates the Airway in Odontocete Cetaceans"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"8","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7694-7602","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"A W","family":"Vogl","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Life Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, , Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3 ,","place":["Canada"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6905-9148","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"R","family":"Cieri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Science, The University of British Columbia Department of Zoology, , Vancouver, British Columbia ,","place":["Canada"]},{"name":"Yale University Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, , New Haven, CT 06520 ,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"P","family":"Palia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Life Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, , Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3 ,","place":["Canada"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"R","family":"Shadwick","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Science, The University of British Columbia Department of Zoology, , Vancouver, British Columbia ,","place":["Canada"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"P","family":"Cottrell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada Department of , Vancouver, British Columbia ,","place":["Canada"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"S","family":"Raverty","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal Health Center, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture , Abbotsford, British Columbia ,","place":["Canada"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"44","DOI":"10.1152\/jn.1956.19.1.44","article-title":"An electromyographic analysis of reflex deglutition","volume":"19","author":"Doty","year":"1956","journal-title":"J Neurophysiol"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.4322\/jms.100916","article-title":"Anatomy of the dromedary head skeleton revisited","volume":"34","author":"El Allali","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Morphol Sci"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"164","DOI":"10.5603\/FM.a2021.0015","article-title":"A comparative study on the morphology, radiography and computed tomography of the skull bones of barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) and sambar deer (Rusa unicolor)","volume":"81","author":"Keneisenuo","year":"2022","journal-title":"Folia Morphol"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1416","DOI":"10.1093\/icb\/icaf016","article-title":"Diverse tongue base retraction strategies drive bolus propulsion during mammalian swallowing","volume":"65","author":"Li","year":"2025","journal-title":"Integr Comp Biol"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.5479\/si.00810282.627","article-title":"The therian skull: a lexicon with emphasis on the odontocetes","volume":"627","author":"Mead","year":"2009","journal-title":"Smithsonian Contrib Zool"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"148","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcz.2018.09.005","article-title":"Skull morphology of the Brazilian shrew mouse (Akodontini; Sigmodontinae), with comparative notes on Akodontini rodents","volume":"277","author":"Missagia","year":"2018","journal-title":"Zool Anz"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"174","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0039-1691756","article-title":"Anatomical and radiographic study on the skull and mandible of the African lion (Panthera leo)","volume":"36","author":"Mohamed","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Morphol Sci"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"728","DOI":"10.1111\/ahe.12851","article-title":"Skull anatomy of the endangered Patagonian huemul deer (Hippocameus bisulcus)","volume":"51","author":"N\u00fa\u00f1ez-Cook","year":"2022","journal-title":"Anat Histol Embryol"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"305","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.1940.0002","article-title":"On the evolution of the mammalian palate","volume":"230","author":"Parrington","year":"1940","journal-title":"Philos Trans R Soc Lond Ser B Containing Pap Biol Char"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib10","volume-title":"Gray\u2019s Anatomy: The anatomical basis of clinical practice","author":"Prisman","year":"2021","edition":"42 ed."},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"98","DOI":"10.1002\/ar.1092180115","article-title":"Position of the larynx in odontoceti (toothed whales)","volume":"218","author":"Reidenberg","year":"1987","journal-title":"Anat Rec"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"884","DOI":"10.1002\/ar.1092210413","article-title":"Existence of vocal folds in the larynx of odontoceti (toothed whales)","volume":"221","author":"Reidenberg","year":"1988","journal-title":"Anat Rec"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1179","DOI":"10.1002\/ar.25597","article-title":"Review of respiratory anatomy adaptations in whales","volume":"308","author":"Reidenberg","year":"2025","journal-title":"Anat Rec"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib14","volume-title":"Sisson and Grossman\u2019s The anatomy of the domestic animals","author":"Sisson","year":"1975","edition":"5th ed."},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"313","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1096-3642.1992.tb00926.x","article-title":"The evolution of the mammalian pharynx","volume":"104","author":"Smith","year":"1992","journal-title":"Zool J Linnean Soc"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e66828","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0066828","article-title":"Fatal asphyxiation in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Indian River Lagoon","volume":"8","author":"Stolen","year":"2013","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"obae026","DOI":"10.1093\/iob\/obae026","article-title":"The soft palate enables extreme feeding and explosive breathing in the Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus)","volume":"6","author":"Vogl","year":"2024","journal-title":"Integr Org Biol"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"447","DOI":"10.1578\/AM.31.4.2005.447","article-title":"Laryngeal displacement and asphyxiation by a beheaded sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus","volume":"31","author":"Watson","year":"2005","journal-title":"Aquatic Mammals"},{"key":"2026041219034335100_bib19","first-page":"92","article-title":"A note on the muscles of the palate and the superior constrictor","volume":"65","author":"Whillis","year":"1930","journal-title":"J Anat"}],"container-title":["Integrative Organismal Biology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/iob\/advance-article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/iob\/obag012\/67602914\/obag012.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"am","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/iob\/article-pdf\/8\/1\/obag012\/67602914\/obag012.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/iob\/article-pdf\/8\/1\/obag012\/67602914\/obag012.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,12]],"date-time":"2026-04-12T23:36:39Z","timestamp":1776036999000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/iob\/article\/doi\/10.1093\/iob\/obag012\/8551327"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"references-count":19,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,14]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/iob\/obag012","relation":{},"ISSN":["2517-4843"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2517-4843","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"article-number":"obag012"}}