Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles and Book Chapters (‘*’ indicates student authorship)

Racicot, R. A., E. G. Ekdale, A. Glass, L. Marino, and M. D. Uhen. In press. Variation in whale (Cetacea) inner ear anatomy reveals the early evolution of ‘specialized’ high frequency hearing sensitivity. Journal of Anatomy.

Ekdale, E. G., J. J. El Adli, M. R. McGowen, T. A. Deméré, A. Lanzetti, A. Berta, M. S. Springer, R. W. Boessenecker, and J. Gatesy. 2024. Lateral palatal foramina are not widespread in Artiodactyla and imply baleen in extinct mysticetes. Scientific Reports 14, 10174. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60673-8.

Park, T., E. G. Ekdale, R. A. Racicot, and F. G. Marx. 2023. Testing for convergent evolution in baleen whale cochlea. In V. Bells and A. P. Russell (Eds.) Convergent Evolution. New York: Springer.

Gatesy, J., E. G. Ekdale, T. A. Deméré, A. Lanzetti, J. Randall, A. Berta, J. J. El Adli, M. Springer, and M. R. McGowen. 2022. Anatomical, ontogenetic, and genomic homologies constrain reconstructions of the teeth-to-baleen transition in mysticete whales. Journal of Mammalian Evolution, DOI: 10.1007/s10914-022-09614-8

Araújo, R., R. David, J. Benoit, J. Lungmus, F. Spoor, A. Stoessel, P. Barrett, J. Maisano, E. G. Ekdale, M. Orliac, Z. –X. Luo, A. Martinelli, E. Hoffman, C. Sidor, R. Martins, and K. Angielczyk. 2022. Inner ear biomechanics reveals Late Triassic origin of mammalian endothermy. Nature 607:726-731, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04963-z.

Ekdale, E. G. and T. A. Deméré. 2021. Neurovascular evidence for a co-occurrence of teeth and baleen in an Oligocene mysticete and the transition to filter feeding in baleen whales. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab017.

Lanzetti, A.* and E. G. Ekdale. 2021. Enhancing CT imaging: a safe protocol to stain and de-stain rare fetal museum specimens using diffusible iodine-based staining (diceCT). Journal of Anatomy 238:228-241, DOI: 10.1111/joa.13410.

Arnaudo, M. E., M. Arnal, and E. G. Ekdale. 2020. The auditory region of a caviomorph rodent (Hystricognathi) from the early Miocene of Patagonia (South America) and evolutionary considerations. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 40:2, e1777557, DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2020.1777557.

Lanzetti, A.,* A. Berta, and E. G. Ekdale. 2018. Prenatal development of the humpback whale: growth rate, tooth loss and skull shape changes in an evolutionary framework. Anatomical Record 303:180-204, DOI: 10.1002/ar.23990.

Costeur, L., C. Grohé, G. Aguirre-Fernández, E. G. Ekdale, G. Schulz, B. Müller, and B. Mennecart. 2018. The bony labyrinth of toothed whales reflects both phylogeny and habitat preferences. Scientific Reports 8(1):7841.

Araújo, R., V. Fernandez, R. D. Rabbitt, E. G. Ekdale, M. T. Antunes, R. Castanhinha, J. Fröbisch, and R. M. S. Martins. 2018. Endothiodon cf. bathystoma (Synapsida: Dicynodontia) bony labyrinth anatomy, variation and body mass estimates. PLoS ONE 13(3):e0189883.

Ekdale, E. G. and A. A. Ekdale. 2018. Hillichnus lobosensis, an unusually complex trace fossil of burrowing bivalves from the Paleogene of southern California, U.S.A. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 493:119-125.

Ekdale, E. G. 2016. The ear of mammals: from monotremes to humans. Pp. 175-206 in J. A. Clack, R. R. Fay, and A. N. Popper (Eds.) Evolution of the Vertebrate Ear – A Evidence from the Fossil Record. New York: Springer.

Luo, Z. –X., J. A. Schultz, and E. G. Ekdale. 2016. Evolution of the middle and inner ears of mammaliaforms: the approach to mammals. Pp. 139-174 in J. A. Clack, R. R. Fay, and A. N. Popper (Eds.) Evolution of the Vertebrate Ear – A Evidence from the Fossil Record. New York: Springer.

Berta, A., A. Lanzetti*, E. G. Ekdale, and T. A. Deméré. 2016. From teeth to baleen and raptorial to bulk filter feeding: integration of paleontological, genetic, ontogenetic, and geochemical data to study evolutionary innovation and ecology in mysticete cetaceans. Integrative and Comparative Biology 56(6):1271-1284.

Wilson, G. P., E. G. Ekdale, J. W. Hoganson, J. J. Calede*, and A. Vander Linden*. 2016. A large carnivorous mammal from the Late Cretaceous and the North American origin of marsupials. Nature Communications 7:13734.

Ekdale, E. G. 2016. Morphological variation among the inner ears of extinct and extant baleen whales. Journal of Morphology DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20610.

Ekdale, E. G. 2016. Form and function of the mammalian inner ear. Journal of Anatomy 228:324-337.

Berta, A., E. G. Ekdale, T. A. Deméré, J. S. Reidenberg. 2015. Introduction to the anatomy of the head of a neonate gray whale (Mysticeti, Eschrichtius robustus). Anatomical Record 298:643-647.

Berta, A., E. G. Ekdale, N. Zellmer*, T. A. Deméré, S. Kienle*, M. Smallcomb*. 2015. Eye, nose, hair, and throat: external anatomy of the head of Eschrichtius robustus (Cetacea, Mysticeti). Anatomical Record 298:648-569.

Kienle, S.*, E. G. Ekdale, J. S. Reidenberg, and T. A. Deméré. 2015. Tongue and hyoid musculature and functional morphology of a neonate gray whale (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eschrichtius robustus). Anatomical Record 298:660-674.

Ekdale, E. G. and S. Kienle*. 2015. Passive restriction of blood flow and counter-current heat exchange via lingual retia in the tongue of a neonatal gray whale Eschrichtius robustus (Cetacea, Mysticeti). Anatomical Record 298:675-679.

Ekdale, E. G., T. A. Deméré, and A. Berta. 2015. Vascularization of the gray whale palate (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eschrichtius robustus): soft tissue evidence for an alveolar source of blood to baleen. Anatomical Record 298:691-702.

Young, S.*, T. A. Deméré, A. Berta, E. G. Ekdale, and N. Zellmer*. 2015. Morphometrics and structure of complete baleen racks in gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) from the eastern North Pacific Ocean. Anatomical Record 298:703-719.

Ekdale, E. G. and R. A. Racicot. 2015. Anatomical evidence for low frequency sensitivity in the inner ear of Zygorhiza kochii (Cetacea, Basilosauridae). Journal of Anatomy 226:22-39.

Berta, A., E. G. Ekdale, and T. W. Cranford. 2014. Review of the cetacean nose: form, function and evolution. Anatomical Record 297:2205-2215.

Ekdale, E. G. 2013. Comparative anatomy of the bony labyrinth of the inner ear of placental mammals. PLoS ONE 8(6):e66624. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066624.

Ekdale, E. G., A. Berta, and T. A. Deméré. 2011. The comparative osteology of the petrotympanic complex in extant mysticetes (Mammalia:Cetacea). PLoS ONE 6(6):e21311. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0021311.

Ekdale, E. G. and T. Rowe. 2011. The bony labyrinth of zhelestids (Mammalia: Eutheria) and other Mesozoic mammals. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 31(3): 658-675. [Third most cited paper from the journal published between 2011 and 2012.]

Ekdale, E. G. 2011. Morphology and variation in the ear region of Pleistocene Elephantimorpha (Mammalia, Proboscidea) from Central Texas. Journal of Morphology 272:452-464.

Ekdale, E. G. 2010. Ontogenetic variation in the bony labyrinth of Monodelphis domestica (Mammalia: Marsupialia) following ossification of the inner ear cavities. The Anatomical Record 293: 1896-1912.

Averianov, A.O., J. D. Archibald, and E. G. Ekdale. 2010. New material of the Late Cretaceous deltatheroidan mammal Sulestes from Uzbekistan and phylogenetic reassessment of the metatherian-eutherian dichotomy. Journal of Systematic Paleontology 8:301-330.

Bever, G. S., T. Rowe, E. G. Ekdale, T. E. Macrini, M. W. Colbert, and A. M. Balanoff. 2005. Comment to “Independent Origins of Middle Ear bones in Monotremes and Therians”. Science 309:1492a.

Ekdale, E. G., J. D. Archibald, and A. O. Averianov. 2004. Petrosal bones of the placental mammals “Zhelestidae” and Kulbeckia kulbecke (“Zalambdalestidae”), Late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 49:161-176.

Archibald, J. D., A. O. Averianov, and E. G. Ekdale. 2001. Late Cretaceous relatives of rabbits, rodents, and other extant eutherian mammals. Nature 414:62-65.

Popular (non-peer reviewed) Articles

Berta, A., E. G. Ekdale, T. A. Deméré, A. Lanzetti, and J. Gatesy. 2024. Lost in transition: from teeth to baleen and the origin of filter feeding in whales. Natural History, May 2024.

Invited Book Reviews

Ekdale, E. G. 2011. Review: How vertebrates left the water (M. Laurin). Systematic Biology 60(6):893-895.

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Conference Abstracts (2010 - present)

Ekdale, E. G., J. El Adli, M. R. McGowen, T. A. Deméré, A. Lanzetti, R. Boessenecker, and J. Gatesy. 2024. Palatal foramina in artiodactyls and their relation to baleen. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Program Guide 2024: 184-185.

Ekdale, E. G. and T. A. Deméré. 2018. Tooth-to-baleen transition in mysticetes: new CT evidence of vascular structures on the palate of Aetiocetus weltoni (Mysticeti, Cetacea). Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Program & Abstracts 2018: 121.

E. G. Ekdale and A. A. Ekdale. 2017. Recognition and paleoecologic significance of complex ichnofabrics in the trace fossil record: an example from the Eocene of southern California. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 49(6). Doi: 10.1130/abs/2017AM-301397.

Smallcomb, M., A. Berta, and E. Ekdale. 2017. Growing pains: skull growth in gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) based on ontogeny and phylogeny. 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals.

Araujo, R. M., K. D. Angielczyk, R. Rabbitt, M. Orliac, R. David, J. Benoiut, E. G. Ekdale, and R.M. Martins. 2017. Elevated semicircular canal eccentricity in dicynodont therapsids (Synapsida): implications for behavior? Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Program & Abstracts: 75.

Borce, B., E. G. Ekdale, R. Racicot, and S. Darroch. 2017 Species delimitations within the extinct river dolphin genus Parapontoporia based on quantitative analysis of the periotic bones. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Program & Abstracts: 83.

Lanzetti, A., A. Berta, and E. G. Ekdale. 2017 How to make a whale: first complete developmental sequence of the skull of the humpback whale and its implications for the evolution of mysticetes. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Program & Abstracts: 147.

Brannick, A. L., G. P. Wilson, D. J. Varrichio, and E. G. Ekdale. 2016. Nestled among dinosaur eggs: new Alphadon specimens from egg mountain and their implications for metatherian evolution. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Program & Abstracts: 103.

Lanzetti, A., A. Berta, E. G. Ekdale, and T. A. Deméré. 2016. Lost in transition: developmental patterns oftooth formation and loss in fetal baleen whales and implications for mysticete evolution. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Program & Abstracts: 172.

Berta, A., A. Lanzetti, E. G. Ekdale, and T. A. Deméré. 2016. Evolutionary innovation and ecology in mysticete cetacenas: transition from teeth to baleen and raptorial to bulk filter feeding. Programs and Abstracts of the 11th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology, Anatomical Record 299, Special Feature: 67-68.

Ekdale, E. G. 2016. Morphological diversity among the inner ears of extinct and extant baleen whales (Cetacea: Mysticeti). Programs and Abstracts of the 11th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology, Anatomical Record 299, Special Feature: 99.

Lanzetti, A., A. Berta, E. Ekdale, J. Hansen. 2015. CT scans of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) fetus: new insights on cranial ossification and tooth anatomy. 21st Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals.

Smallcomb, M., A. Berta, E. Ekdale. 2015. It gets better with age: the ontogeny of gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) skull growth using 3D morphometrics. 21st Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals.

Ekdale, E.G. 2014. Implications for the origin of baleen as revealed by palatal vascularization of a gray whale calf (Cetacea, Mysticeti). Annual Meeting of The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Abstracts: 96.

Ekdale, E. G., T. A. Deméré, A. Berta. 2013. Palatal vasculature in a gray whale neonate (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eschrichtiidae): implications for the origin of baleen. Abstracts, 20th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals: 64.

Ekdale, E. G. 2013. Inner ear structure of early mysticetes (Cetacea) from the Late Oligocene of South Carolina: implications for the evolution of hearing in baleen whales. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (Online Supplement):121.

Ekdale, E. G., T. A. Deméré, A. Berta. 2013. Vascularization of the baleen epithelium in a neonatal gray whale (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eschrichtiidae). Programs and Abstracts of the 10th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology, Anatomical Record 296, Special Feature:246.

Berta, A., E. G. Ekdale, T. A. Deméré, S. Kienle, M. Smallcomb. 2013. Eye, nose, hair and throat: external anatomy of the head of a neonate gray whale (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eschrichtiidae). Programs and Abstracts of the 10th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology, Anatomical Record 296, Special Feature:281-282.

Ekdale, E. G. 2012. Physiological and evolutionary implications of the cochlear morphology of Miocene Mysticeti (Cetacea). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (Online Supplement):90.

Wilson, G. P., E. G. Ekdale, and J. W. Hoganson. 2012. A partial skull of Didelphodon vorax from the Lancian-age Hell Creek Formation of southwestern North Dakota, U.S.A. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (Online Supplement):194.

Ekdale, E. G., J. J. El Adli, T. A. Deméré, and A. Berta. 2011. ‘Supermorphomatrices’ and you: proposal for collaborative research on baleen whale evolution using an online database. Sixth Triennial Conference on Secondary Adaptation of Tetrapods to Life in Water, San Diego, CA, Program with Abstracts:22.

Ekdale, E. G., A. Berta, and T. A. Deméré. 2010. Phylogenetic implications of the petrotympanic complex of baleen whales (Cetacea, Mysticeti). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (Online Supplement):85A.