§16§The rapid development of molecular biology and genetics has led to renewed interest in embryology, comparative embryology, and studies of the relations between ontogeny and phylogeny. In fact, genes have been identified which are involved in the formation of shapes and structures, and it is becoming apparent that their primary morphological expressions are conspicuously similar in different species. The primarily identical shapes do not become diversified until advanced individualization of embryos, and it is here that it is possible to employ the knowledge of comparative embryology, the branch of science engaged in the study of the development and differentiation of tridimensional structures in different animal groups. However, comparative embryology has been neglected during the past decades, as its development has appeared to have been completed. In our opinion, the decreased interest in comparative embryology has been caused by the fact that often the time factor was not or co §16§uld not be respected. In fact, in the case of embryos of wild animals even their ontogenetic age and sometimes the duration of intrauterine development are unknown. §04§1 Introduction.- 1.1 Length and Weight of Adults, Life Span.- 1.2 Length and Weight of Newborns, Ontogenetic Pattern.- 1.3 Summary.- 1.4 Duration of Intrauterine Development.- 1.5 Mating and Calving Seasons.- 1.6 Calving Intervals, Duration of Lactation.- 2 Aims of this Study.- 3 Material.- 4 Methods.- 4.1 Staging.- 4.2 Ageing.- 5 Results.- 5.1 Developmental Stages in the Dolphin Species Under Study.- 5.2 Development of Body Shape and Fetal Growth.- 5.3 Development of Head Shape and its Growth.- 5.4 Development of the Thoracic Limb (Flipper).- 5.5 Development of Pelvic Limb Buds.- 5.6 Development of the Fluke.- 5.7 Development of the Dorsal Fin.- 5.8 Duration of Intrauterine Development.- 5.9 Mating and Calving Seasons.- 6 Discussion.- 6.1 Comparison of the Staging & Ageing Method with Other Methods.- 6.2 Duration of Intrauterine Development and the Mating and Calving Seasons.- References.
