[134] The Black Sea's lower layers are also anoxic and contain high concentrations of sulphur compounds such as hydrogen sulphide. [18] (See: Teeth) In May, an expanded team of UBC researchers and affiliates headed to PEI to retrieve the entire blue whale skeleton. It has been estimated to weigh 80 tonnes (79 long tons; 88 short tons). Spermaceti oil was important in public lighting (for example, in lighthouses, where it was used in the United States until 1862, when it was replaced by lard oil, in turn replaced by petroleum) and for lubricating the machines (such as those used in cotton mills) of the Industrial Revolution. [9] Another view holds that exploitation by overwhaling had virtually no effect on the size of the bull sperm whales, and their size may have actually increased in current times on the basis of density dependent effects. [132], Sperm whales are among the most cosmopolitan species. Its surface is covered with fluid-filled knobs. [169] In comparison, human consumption of seafood is estimated to be 115 million tonnes (127 million short tons). Lack of prey?] It is suggested that the whales can see the squid silhouetted above them against the dim surface light. [252], The introduction of plastic waste to the ocean environment by humans is relatively new. [9][10][11] They are a prime example of a species that has been K-selected, meaning their reproductive strategy is associated with stable environmental conditions and comprises a low birth rate, significant parental aid to offspring, slow maturation, and high longevity. The rostrum is dimpled and bumpy. [177] The oldest pregnant female ever recorded was 41 years old. The evolutionary history of cetaceans is thought to have occurred in the Indian subcontinent. The ribs are bound to the spine by flexible cartilage, which allows the ribcage to collapse rather than snap under high pressure. The second chamber is larger and is where digestion takes place. There are no ciliary muscles. What's Happening. Other than sperm whales, southern right whales had been observed to perform similar formations. They have no tear glands or eyelashes. Whale skeleton scanned. They may face inwards with their tails out (the 'marguerite formation', named after the flower). Scheme . Like that of other toothed whales, the skull of the sperm whale is asymmetrical so as to aid echolocation. However, if the whale matures and the size of the spermaceti organ increases, the tone of the whale's click will also change. Explore {{searchView.params.phrase}} by color family {{familyColorButtonText(colorFamily.name)}} whale skeleton displayed in a harbour as seen from above, lanzarote - whale skeleton stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images . The sclera is very hard and thick, roughly 1 cm anteriorly and 3 cm posteriorly. [105], The sperm whale's eye does not differ greatly from those of other toothed whales except in size. Blue whales are predominantly blue-gray animals whose lower surfaces are lighter gray or white. There are unique, coastal groups reported from various areas among the globe such as Scotland,[152] and Shiretoko Peninsula, off Kaikoura, in the Davao Gulf. Creative Cross section of the whale. The sperm whale's lower jaw is very narrow and underslung. In 1860, a whale caught off Somerset in southwest England, went on a small and less-publicized tour before the whale was rid off its tissues and the skeleton displayed at the Weston Super-Mare Museum. [67], The sperm whale respiratory system has adapted to cope with drastic pressure changes when diving. Largest is blue whale (85-95 feet, 26-29 meters), smallest is vaquita (5 feet, 1.5 meters) Donate to the Museum Fund! Printable diagram of whale skeleton labeled. Two species of the related extant genus Kogia, the pygmy sperm whale Kogia breviceps and the dwarf sperm whale K. sima, are placed either in this family or in the family Kogiidae. [138][139] followed by one on Ganghwa Island in 2009. By reducing the abundance of sperm whales in the Southern Ocean, whaling has resulted in an extra 2 million tonnes of carbon remaining in the atmosphere each year. [40] Newborn sperm whales are usually between 3.7 to 4.3 meters (12 to 14 ft) long in length. Male sperm whales are physically mature at about 16 metres (52 ft) in length and generally reaching a maximum of about 18 to 19 meters (59 to 62 ft). The teeth were originally rare in Fiji and Tonga, which exported teeth, but with the Europeans' arrival, teeth flooded the market and this "currency" collapsed. When the whale is submerged, it can close the blowhole, and air that passes through the phonic lips can circulate back to the lungs. They were once thought to be a way by which individuals identified themselves, but individuals have been observed producing multiple codas, and the same codas are used by multiple individuals. [89] The arterial retia mirabilia are extraordinarily well-developed. Like walrus ivory, sperm whale ivory has two distinct layers. Rope-mounted teeth are important cultural objects throughout the Pacific. It is typically used when homing in on prey. Such beaks precipitate the formation of ambergris. Cetaceans A Snapshot: Whale Evolution Starter: Identify skeletal adaptations in the Sperm Whale Task: Labelling Activity The Skeleton & Feeding The Mandible and Maxilla The Pentadactyl Limb None of the individual animals on the evogram (previous page) is the direct ancestor of [165][166][167] It is thought that the foraging strategy of sperm whales for bioluminescent squids may also explain the presence of these light-emitting pyrosomes in the diet of the sperm whale. Whale skeletons have a long vertebrae (back-bone) like all vertebrate animals, including fish. Along with the suspended skeletons, the Museum also displays the skull of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) and the huge lower jaw of a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). They will spend much of the time rubbing against each other. The bones of blue whale are made of the same materials our are, which is calcium rich bones with thick marrow inside of them to produce new blood cells, and cartilage that is used to connect the bones to one another and still keep them flexible. Their clicks are among the most powerful sounds in the animal kingdom (see above). Skeleton of a veiled chameleon Senses of a chameleon. [40] This gives rise to a distinctive bushy, forward-angled spray. Alberto Chiarlo mentioned the skeleton of the whale, and that immediately sparked di Paolo’s imagination. Alive, the animal would have weighed between 60 and 70 tonnes (59-69 tons). [168] The irritation of the intestines caused by squid beaks stimulates the secretion of this lubricant-like substance. Anatomy of the marine creature Shark Anatomy. A; Bannikov, Andrei Grigorevich; Hoffmann, Robert S, This page was last edited on 29 November 2020, at 12:59. [237], The total number of sperm whales in the world is unknown, but is thought to be in the hundreds of thousands. Browse 914 whale skeleton stock photos and images available, or search for whale bones or animal skeleton to find more great stock photos and pictures. [79] The arteries that leave the aortic arch are positioned symmetrically. [106] The structure of the junk redistributes physical stress across the skull and may have evolved to protect the head during ramming.[107][108][106]. Students add the names of the bones on a plain picture of a boy or girl using Google Drawing. It is analogous to the melon found in other toothed whales. This 3D model of the Museum's blue whale skeleton was produced by our Imaging and Analysis Centre.. Read more about how they scanned the biggest animal on the planet. [212] For example, Scaldicetus had a tapered rostrum. [27] The 1598 specimen was near Berkhey. Similar Images . From 1770 to 1775 Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island ports produced 45,000 barrels of sperm oil annually, compared to 8,500 of whale oil. Today’s whales share many anatomical traits with other mammals, but the unique adaptations of species such as Physeter macrocephalus, the sperm whale, illustrate how organisms can transform over time as they carve out their place on the planet. Hobby palaeontologist Gerhard Hoepfner kneels next to a 11 million years-old baleen whale skeleton, which he discovered in a gravel pit nearby Pampau, at the museum for nature and environment in Luebeck, Germany, 17 November 2010. Human skeleton, the internal skeleton that serves as a framework for the body. The olfactory system is reduced, suggesting that the sperm whale has a poor sense of taste and smell. It is the sole extant species of its genus, Physeter, in the family Physeteridae. Only 8 out of 21 sailors survived to be rescued by other ships.[233]. [61], The sperm whale brain is the largest known of any modern or extinct animal, weighing on average about 7.8 kilograms (17 lb)[62][63] (with the smallest known weighing 6.4 kilograms (14 lb) and the largest known weighing 9.2 kilograms (20 lb)),[36][37] more than five times heavier than a human's, and has a volume of about 8,000 cm3. According to Fristrup and Harbison (2002),[116] [80] Their circulatory system has adapted to dive at great depths, as much as 2,250 metres (7,382 ft)[6][7][81][82][83] for up to 120 minutes. The sound passes through the spermaceti organ (rendered in blue, top of the skull), bounces off an air sac, and is redirected to the whale's "melon" organ (rendered in yellow). [212] Acrophyseter, from the late Miocene, also had teeth in both the upper and lower jaws as well as a short rostrum and an upward curving mandible (lower jaw). In Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the Nautilus fights a group of "cachalots" (sperm whales) to protect a pod of southern right whales from their attacks. [171], It has been stated that sperm whales, as well as other large cetaceans, help fertilise the surface of the ocean by consuming nutrients in the depths and transporting those nutrients to the oceans' surface when they defecate, an effect known as the whale pump. Judge Paul Dudley, in his Essay upon the Natural History of Whales (1725), states that a certain Atkins, 10 or 12 years in the trade, was among the first to catch sperm whales sometime around 1720 off the New England coast. Jefferson, T. A., Stacey, P. J., & Baird, R. W. (1991). [202] However, at some potential feeding sites, the killer whales may prevail over sperm whales even when outnumbered by the sperm whales. Dinosaur Skeletons/Fossils. Despite evidence that sperm whales share similar codas, it is still unknown whether sperm whales possess individually specific coda repertoires or whether individuals make codas at different rates. Instead, they are artiodactyls that began to take to the water soon after artiodactyls split from mesonychids. Such coastal groups were more abundant in pre-whaling days. [159], An older study, examining whales captured by the New Zealand whaling fleet in the Cook Strait region, found a 1.69:1 ratio of squid to fish by weight. [208] However, more recent studies, based on various combinations of comparative anatomy and molecular phylogenetics, criticised Milinkovitch's analysis on technical grounds and reaffirmed that the Odontoceti are monophyletic. [63][66], The sperm whale's cerebrum is the largest in all mammalia, both in absolute and relative terms. [219][220][221][222] Ambergris, a solid, waxy, flammable substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales, was also sought as a fixative in perfumery. By the early 1740s, with the advent of spermaceti candles (before 1743), American vessels began to focus on sperm whales. The sperm whale, unlike other odontocetes, has only one pair of phonic lips, whereas all other toothed whales have two,[109] and it is located at the front of the nose instead of behind the melon. Students annotate an image, labeling the various bones of the skeletal system. [113] A few famous instances include the well-documented sinking of the ships Essex and Ann Alexander by attackers estimated to weigh only one-fifth as much as the ships.[106]. [13] [64] Although larger brains generally correlate with higher intelligence, it is not the only factor. [174][175] Bulls do not provide prenatal care to their offspring but rather play a fatherly role to younger bulls to show dominance. On site you will find both a huge sperm whale skeleton, a unique view of the Wadden Sea and detailed decor from the period. A blue whale has between 80 and 100 long grooves running along the length of its throat and chest. Herman Melville", "What is a Whale? [29] This has been adopted by most subsequent authors, although Schevill (1986[30] and 1987[31]) argued that macrocephalus was published with an inaccurate description and that therefore only the species catodon was valid, rendering the principle of "First Reviser" inapplicable. 1172–1174 in, Constantine, R. "Folklore and Legends", p. 449 in, "Sperm whale designated Connecticut state animal,", International Union for Conservation of Nature, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Physiology of underwater diving § Marine mammals, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area, the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation of Cetaceans and Their Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region, "First long-term behavioral records from Cuvier's beaked whales (, "Census of Marine Life – From the Edge of Darkness to the Black Abyss", "Sperm Whale "Voices" Used to Gauge Whales' Sizes", "A complete phylogeny of the whales, dolphins and even-toed hoofed mammals (Cetartiodactyla)", "Phylogenetic relationships of artiodactyls and cetaceans as deduced from the comparison of cytochrome b and 12S RNA mitochondrial sequences", "Relationships of Cetacea (Artiodactyla) Among Mammals: Increased Taxon Sampling Alters Interpretations of Key Fossils and Character Evolution", "List of Marine Mammal Species and Subspecies", "Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna", http://docs.niwa.co.nz/library/public/NIWAis76.pdf. [185] Unlike killer whales, sperm whales within a social unit show no significant tendency to associate with their genetic relatives. At the time it would have weighed nearly twice that, due to the oils stored in the bones. [3] The shallow entrances to both the Black Sea and the Red Sea may account for their absence. ), usually found at the sea floor, in its belly. Click here to download a free human skeleton diagram. File:Sperm whale skeleton labelled.jpg. sperm whale's eyes afford good vision and sensitivity to light. Commercial whaling has ceased,[3] and the species is protected almost worldwide, though records indicate that in the 11-year period starting from 2000, Japan has caught 51 sperm whales. Most of the sound energy is then reflected off the frontal sac at the cranium and into the melon, whose lens-like structure focuses it. Bones, Skeletons See more. They see shapes clearly, recognize patterns on the sides of other cetaceans and can see when others in their pod have turned. Diaphorocetus, from Argentina, has been dated to the early Miocene. The skeleton of a whale consists of a skull, a backbone, a rib cage, and a collection of bones that are part of the flipper, but correspond closely to the bones in the human arm and hand. Spermaceti, originally mistakenly identified as the whales' semen, is the semi-liquid, waxy substance found within the whale's head (see below). We are pleased to provide you with the picture named Beluga whale anatomy.We hope this picture Beluga whale anatomy can help you study and research. In that year, however, Dutch zoologists Antonius M. Husson and Lipke Holthuis proposed that the correct name should be P. macrocephalus, the second name in the genus Physeter published by Linnaeus concurrently with P. catodon. [177] Birth is a social event, as the mother and calf need others to protect them from predators. Martinez, D. R., & Klinghammer, E. (1970). [119], Capable of emitting sounds at a volume of 230 decibels—more than an airplane jet engine at takeoff—the sperm whale is the loudest animal in the world. [209] The Kogiidae (dwarf and pygmy sperm whales) diverged from the Physeteridae (true sperm whales) at least 8 million years ago.[217]. The total annual consumption of prey by sperm whales worldwide is estimated to be about 91 million tonnes (100 million short tons). The S-shaped blowhole is located very close to the front of the head and shifted to the whale's left. [citation needed] During the hunt, oxygen consumption, together with blood vessel dilation, produces heat and melts the spermaceti, increasing its buoyancy and enabling easy surfacing. One study, carried out around the Galápagos, found that squid from the genera Histioteuthis (62%), Ancistrocheirus (16%), and Octopoteuthis (7%) weighing between 12 and 650 grams (0.026 and 1.433 lb) were the most commonly taken. The skeleton of the shark has evolved and adapted to suit and aid the habitat, migration, hunting habits and diet of these acclaimed carnivores. [53] While sperm whales are well adapted to diving, repeated dives to great depths have long-term effects. Archaeocetes retained aspects of their mesonychid ancestry (such as the triangular teeth) which modern artiodactyls, and modern whales, have lost. Students Label the Bones of the Skeletal System with a Graphics Program. Moby Dick, marine science and the sublime", Reproduced from the Connecticut State Register & Manual, "Whale and dolphin watching in the Azores". The International Whaling Commission gave the species full protection in 1985, but hunting by Japan in the northern Pacific Ocean continued until 1988. On the throat, the Gray whale has two to seven grooves of excess skin. The grooves between the knobs trap a film of air that is consistent whatever the orientation or depth of the whale, making it an excellent sound mirror. How you spell the word depends on your audience. [118] The genome of live whales can be examined by recovering shed skin. Undigested squid beaks accumulate in the second chamber – as many as 18,000 have been found in some dissected specimens. Popular locations for sperm whale watching include the town of Kaikoura on New Zealand's South Island, Andenes and Tromsø in Arctic Norway; as well as the Azores, where the continental shelf is so narrow that whales can be observed from the shore,[141][250] and Dominica[251] where a long-term scientific research program, The Dominica Sperm Whale Project, has been in operation since 2005. Initially, modern whaling activity focused on large baleen whales, but as these populations were taken, sperm whaling increased. These fossils include Ferecetotherium, Idiorophus, Diaphorocetus, Aulophyseter, Orycterocetus, Scaldicetus, Placoziphius, Zygophyseter and Acrophyseter. Skeleton. The ribs are bound to the spine by flexible cartilage, which allows the ribcage to collapse rather than snap under high pressure. [40] The whales rarely, if ever, leave their group. Spinal vertebrae so wide you could eat your dinner off them. It is the only living member of the genus Physeter and one of three extant species in the sperm whale family, along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the genus Kogia. [16] The word cachalot came to English via French from Spanish or Portuguese cachalote, perhaps from Galician/Portuguese cachola, "big head". At the posterior end of this spermaceti complex is the frontal sac, which covers the concave surface of the cranium. The killer whales employed a tail outward and tail-slapping defensive position against the bull sperm whale similar to that used by female sperm whales against attacking killer whales. Bowhead whale skeleton. Proportionally, they are larger than that of any other cetacean, and are very flexible. [71] A sperm whale killed 160 km (100 mi) south of Durban, South Africa, after a 1-hour, 50-minute dive was found with two dogfish (Scymnodon sp. Similarities: Brains are much larger than would be predicted based on body size. However, due to the distinctive look and large size of the whale, watching is increasingly popular. [149] Along the Korean Peninsula, the first confirmed observation within the Sea of Japan, eight animals off Guryongpo, was made in 2004 since after the last catches of five whales off Ulsan in 1911,[139][150] while nine whales were observed in the East China Sea side of the peninsula in 1999. tubercles: knobs on the head and jaws of some humpback whales. [111] However, more recent work[94] has found many problems with this theory including the lack of anatomical structures for the actual heat exchange. [47] Old males taken at Solander Islands were recorded to be extremely large and unusually rich in blubbers.[48]. [248] It was selected because of its specific contribution to the state's history and because of its present-day plight as an endangered species. [9][38][36][42][43][44], There are old reports of sperm whales approaching, reaching or exceeding 80 feet (24 m) in length but there is disagreement as to the accuracy of these claims which are often considered exaggerations or as being measured along the curves of the body. Its surrounding wall, known as the case, is extremely tough and fibrous. [207], Although the fossil record is poor,[210] several extinct genera have been assigned to the clade Physeteroidea, which includes the last common ancestor of the modern sperm whale, pygmy sperm whales, dwarf sperm whales, and extinct physeteroids. Pitman, R. L., Ballance, L. T., Mesnick, S. I., & Chivers, S. J. Brain. [38], Extensive whaling may have decreased their size, as males were highly sought, primarily after World War II. [50] Albinos have been reported. In this instance, it led to the choice of P. macrocephalus over P. catodon, a view re-stated in Holthuis, 1987. Blue whale, a species of baleen whale, a cetacean, that is the most massive animal ever to have lived. The following Easter, ‘The Skeleton of the Monster Whale’ was exhibited in the Central Cricket Ground at Hastings, before being sold to a new Museum of Zoology, which had just opened the year before, in Cambridge. [130] Large males are generally solitary and rarely produce codas. Spermaceti, the fine waxy oil produced by sperm whales, was in high demand. Though a widely practised art in the 19th century, scrimshaw using genuine sperm whale ivory declined substantially after the retirement of the whaling fleets in the 1880s. See whale skeleton stock video clips. Write the correct numbers of body parts.vector. [241] Whale ivory and bone were taken from beached whales. [45], The largest animal weighed in whole was a sperm whale which measured 18 metres (59 ft) long and weighed 53 tonnes (52 long tons; 58 short tons). Fossil sperm whales from the Middle Miocene include Aulophyseter, Idiorophus and Orycterocetus, all of which were found on the West Coast of the United States, and Scaldicetus, found in Europe and Japan. [161] However, the amount of fish taken is very little compared to what the sperm whale needs per day. A continuous fat-filled canal transmits received sounds to the inner ear. Skeleton. "Killer whale (, Mchedlidze, G. "Sperm whales, evolution", pp. Outside breeding grounds, slow clicks are rarely heard, and usually near the surface. A sperm whale skeleton. A 5 metres (16 ft) long jawbone is held in the British Natural History Museum and a 4.7 metres (15 ft) long jawbone is held in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. [112], Herman Melville's fictional story Moby-Dick suggests that the "case" containing the spermaceti serves as a battering ram for use in fights between males. "Dismantling a whale skeleton when you have no manual and user guide, you're relying on the general knowledge of animal skeletons," he told AFP. [192] Alternatively, they may face outwards (the 'heads-out formation'). [68][69] Between dives, the sperm whale surfaces to breathe for about eight minutes before diving again. In an extremely rare finding, a skeleton of whale estimated to be up to 5,000 years old, has been discovered in Thailand. Like the age-rings in a tree, the teeth build distinct layers of cementum and dentine as they grow. In New Zealand, the Māori know them as "rei puta"; such whale tooth pendants were rare objects because sperm whales were not actively hunted in traditional Māori society. Lesson Plan Lesson Preparation • Read the Science Background provided in the Unit’s Overview. Bulls will fight with each other over females, and males will mate with multiple females, making them polygynous, but they do not dominate the group as in a harem. [121], When echolocating, the sperm whale emits a directionally focused beam of broadband clicks. The sperm whale is one of the species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. [40] Myoglobin, which stores oxygen in muscle tissue, is much more abundant than in terrestrial animals. [173], Sperm whales can live 70 years or more. [10] Among several regions, such as along coastal waters of southern Australia, sperm whales have been considered to be locally extinct. They do develop their senses differently than we do and focus mostly on sight. [216], The traditional view has been that Mysticeti (baleen whales) and Odontoceti (toothed whales) arose from more primitive whales early in the Oligocene period, and that the super-family Physeteroidea, which contains the sperm whale, dwarf sperm whale, and pygmy sperm whale, diverged from other toothed whales soon after that, over 23 million years ago. [225], There were only a few recorded instances during the first few decades (1709–1730s) of offshore sperm whaling. Sperm whale watchers often use hydrophones to listen to the clicks of the whales and locate them before they surface. How do these differences help the whale survive in its environment? [12] Sperm whaling was a major industry in the 19th century, depicted in the novel Moby-Dick. Heart. [91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98] Some of the sound will reflect back into the spermaceti organ and back towards the front of the whale's nose, where it will be reflected through the spermaceti organ a third time. The skeletons that are on display came from animals that either died accidentally, or by undetermined circumstances. Adult humans have 206. [3] Although both sexes range through temperate and tropical oceans and seas, only adult males populate higher latitudes. [33][34] Furthermore, The Taxonomy Committee of the Society for Marine Mammalogy, the largest international association of marine mammal scientists in the world, officially uses Physeter macrocephalus when publishing their definitive list of marine mammal species. [40] Odontoceti (toothed whales) breathe air at the surface through a single, S-shaped blowhole, which is extremely skewed to the left. [141] In Asian waters, whales are also observed regularly in coastal waters in places such as the Commander and Kuril Islands, Shiretoko Peninsula which is one of few locations where whales can be observed from shores,[142] off Kinkasan, vicinity to Tokyo Bay[143] and the Bōsō Peninsula to the Izu[144][145] and the Izu Islands, the Volcano Islands, Yakushima and the Tokara Islands to the Ryukyu Islands,[146][147]Taiwan, the Northern Mariana Islands,[148] and so forth. However, sperm whale ivory contains a much thicker inner layer. A mature sperm whale has few natural predators, although calves and weakened adults are sometimes killed by pods of killer whales (orcas). We have created a FREE Skeletal System Diseases Notebooking Research Journal that will go along with this study. The 12m (39ft) long, partially fossilised skeleton was found 12km inland in Samut Sakhon, a central Thailand province. [35], The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale, with adult males measuring up to 20.7 metres (68 ft) long and weighing up to 80 tonnes (79 long tons; 88 short tons). Illustration of shark anatomy. [200][203], Sperm whales are not known for forging bonds with other species, but it was observed that a bottlenose dolphin with a spinal deformity had been accepted into a pod of sperm whales. Finden Sie ähnliche Videos auf Adobe Stock Lack of prey? [40] Bulls have beached themselves together, suggesting a degree of cooperation which is not yet fully understood. Currently the Endangered Species Act and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), prevents the sales of or trade in sperm whale ivory harvested after 1973 or scrimshaw crafted from it. Find substitutes for their recent years 3. In particular, colonization of the Atlantic was revealed to have occurred multiple times during this expansion of their range. Blue whales rarely strand on beaches, and very few skeletons have been recovered for research or display. The specific name macrocephalus is Latinized from the Greek makrokephalos (μακροκέφαλος, meaning "big-headed"), from makros (μακρός, "large") + kephalē (κεφαλή, "head"). Isolated on white background. A 521-cm (curvilinear) killer whale had 4,500-g brain (Caldwell and Brown, 1964