Dear colleagues, My coauthors and I are pleased to announce the publication of the following article in PLoS One: Orbach DN, Marshall CD, Mesnick SL, Wursig B (2017) Patterns of cetacean vaginal folds yield insights into functionality. PLoS ONE 12(3): e0175037. ABSTRACT: Complex foldings of the vaginal wall are unique to some cetaceans and artiodactyls and are of unknown function(s). The patterns of vaginal length and cumulative vaginal fold length were assessed in relation to body length and to each other in a phylogenetic context to derive insights into functionality. The reproductive tracts of 59 female cetaceans (20 species, 6 families) were dissected. Phylogenetically-controlled reduced major axis regressions were used to establish a scaling trend for the female genitalia of cetaceans. An unparalleled level of vaginal diversity within a mammalian order was found. Vaginal folds varied in number and size across species, and vaginal fold length was positively allometric with body length. Vaginal length was not a significant predictor of vaginal fold length. Functional hypotheses regarding the role of vaginal folds and the potential selection pressures that could lead to evolution of these structures are discussed. Vaginal folds may present physical barriers, which obscure the pathway of seawater and/or sperm travelling through the vagina. This study contributes broad insights to the evolution of reproductive morphology and aquatic adaptations and lays the foundation for future functional morphology analyses. The publication is open access and available at https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175037 or by email to dnorbach@gmail.com Cheers, Dara Orbach, PhD Izaak Walton Killam Postdoctoral Fellow Whitehead Lab Department of Biology Dalhousie University dnorbach@gmail.com