Which adaptation allows marine mammals to dive for extended periods without surfacing?

💡 Explanation

When diving, marine mammals experience prolonged oxygen deprivation; increased myoglobin, an oxygen-binding protein, in muscles facilitates greater oxygen storage via oxygen cascade principles, enabling longer dives. Therefore, increased myoglobin concentration results, rather than cutaneous respiration, elevated metabolism, or reduced perfusion which either are physiologically non-viable or counterproductive underwater.

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