{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,17]],"date-time":"2026-07-17T14:54:12Z","timestamp":1784300052008,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"23","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,2]],"date-time":"2024-12-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1733097600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"CONICET","award":["PIP 0798"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PIP 0798"]}]},{"name":"CONICET","award":["N-871"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N-871"]}]},{"name":"CONICET","award":["N-1006"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N-1006"]}]},{"name":"UNLP","award":["PIP 0798"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PIP 0798"]}]},{"name":"UNLP","award":["N-871"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N-871"]}]},{"name":"UNLP","award":["N-1006"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["N-1006"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Vertebrates\u2019 tongues reflect part of their adaptations to diverse feeding strategies, the types of food items they eat, and the environments where they live. Our contribution was to analyze the macro- and microscopic morphology of the tongues of two porpoise species (Phocoena dioptrica and Phocoena spinipinnis; juveniles and adults), whose biology is little known. Macroscopic and microscopic studies (conventional histology, scanning electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and morphometry) were performed. Differences between juvenile and adult individuals of the same species, as well as between juveniles and adults of both species, were found, probably related to their feeding and\/or geographical distribution. In addition, novel aspects related to ontogenetic morphological differences, thermoregulation, and immune system components were described. We found a lingual countercurrent vascular system (periarterial venous retia), only mentioned for mysticetes and Physeter macrocephalus (never for smaller odontocetes). In addition, we identified mechanoreceptors (lamellar corpuscles). Both species showed marginal papillae, but only in P. spinipinnis were small (probably vestigial) taste buds observed. Finally, lingual lymphoid aggregates were found.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani14233481","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,2]],"date-time":"2024-12-02T13:34:04Z","timestamp":1733146444000},"page":"3481","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Ecomorphological and Age-Related Adaptations in the Tongues of Phocoena dioptrica (Spectacled Porpoise) and Phocoena spinipinnis (Burmeister\u2019s Porpoise) (Phocoenidae: Cetacea)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6780-6736","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cleopatra Mara","family":"Loza","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas y T\u00e9cnicas), Godoy Cruz 2290 (C1425FQB) CABA, Argentina"},{"name":"Laboratorio de Morfolog\u00eda Evolutiva y Desarrollo (MORPHOS), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s\/n, La Plata 1900, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carolina Natalia","family":"Zanuzzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas y T\u00e9cnicas), Godoy Cruz 2290 (C1425FQB) CABA, Argentina"},{"name":"Laboratorio de Histolog\u00eda y Embriolog\u00eda Descriptiva, Experimental y Comparada (LHYEDEC), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata 1900, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura Beatriz","family":"Andrini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"C\u00e1tedra de Citolog\u00eda, Histolog\u00eda y Embriolog\u00eda, Facultad de Ciencias M\u00e9dicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata 1900, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cecilia Mariana","family":"Krmpotic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas y T\u00e9cnicas), Godoy Cruz 2290 (C1425FQB) CABA, Argentina"},{"name":"Laboratorio de Morfolog\u00eda Evolutiva y Desarrollo (MORPHOS), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s\/n, La Plata 1900, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alejo Carlos","family":"Scarano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas y T\u00e9cnicas), Godoy Cruz 2290 (C1425FQB) CABA, Argentina"},{"name":"Laboratorio de Morfolog\u00eda Evolutiva y Desarrollo (MORPHOS), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s\/n, La Plata 1900, Argentina"},{"name":"Departamento de Ambiente y Turismo, Universidad Nacional de Avellaneda, Buenos Aires B1870, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Juan Pablo","family":"Loureiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3n Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuy\u00fa, Buenos Aires B7105, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9459-138X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Claudio Gustavo","family":"Barbeito","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas y T\u00e9cnicas), Godoy Cruz 2290 (C1425FQB) CABA, Argentina"},{"name":"Laboratorio de Histolog\u00eda y Embriolog\u00eda Descriptiva, Experimental y Comparada (LHYEDEC), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata 1900, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alfredo Armando","family":"Carlini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cient\u00edficas y T\u00e9cnicas), Godoy Cruz 2290 (C1425FQB) CABA, Argentina"},{"name":"Laboratorio de Morfolog\u00eda Evolutiva y Desarrollo (MORPHOS), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s\/n, La Plata 1900, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"185","article-title":"Some observations on the natural history of the tongue","volume":"19","author":"Livingston","year":"1956","journal-title":"Ann. 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