About this Research Topic

Background

Aquatic mammals have converged on many similar solutions to the same problems in dealing with life in the water. This includes specializations in the shape, histology, and development of sensory systems, feeding anatomy, visceral structures, and the locomotor apparatus. These adaptations are only partly known, and continue to be discovered among modern mammals and in the continuously improving fossil record.

The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a venue to gather new information on anatomical specializations of aquatic mammals in an evolutionary context. Alongside novel studies, we hope that this Research Topic will include up to date reviews of the current state of knowledge of these topics.

Authors should consider submissions containing new information and/or synthetic reviews about the anatomy, histology, evolution, adaptation, or development of:
• Sensory systems
• Feeding structures
• Visceral structures
• Locomotion

From extant and/or extinct members of any or all of the following groups:
• Cetacea
• Sirenia
• Desmostylia
• Pinnipedia
• Lutrinae
• And many other smaller groups, such as desmans, polar bears, and extant and extinct aquatic mammals belonging to other clades.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: aquatic mammal, cetacea, desmostylia, sirenia, pinnipedia, histology, anatomy, paleobiology, paleoecology, adaptation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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