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Carl Buell's restoration of Aetiocetus weltoni. From Demere et al., 2008.By now many of you have no doubt seen the abysmally bad story on evolution and creationism in yesterday's Telegraph. After referring to the reactions of fundamentalist Christians to the forthcoming Charles Darwin biopic…
Sorry, nothing new: time again for something from Tet Zoo ver 1...
Late in the 1920s, plans to replace the old whale hall of the British Museum (Natural History) were fulfilled. Thanks to the new, steel-girdled hall, the Blue whale skeleton - by now kept in storage for 42 years due to lack of…
Not only am I now unable to edit my blogroll (a very minor thing, but one that bugs me nonetheless), I am also incapable of understanding how ResearchBlogging is supposed to work. I registered, but cannot get my posts to appear there, so am going to give up. Oh well, it's not like it matters I…
It's time to add a new chapter to the Whale Chronicles....
...more below the fold...
Evidence from both DNA and fossils agree that whales evolved from hoofed mammals on land. At first they may have been occasional swimmers, only later evolving into meat-eaters hunting for prey in the water. Between…
What is that beak-like structure up front? Is it just me or does that vaguely resemble a tuning fork? Interesting picture and a good example of how bone structure provides information that is not immediately apparent to the untrained eye.
very nice foto. i should fotos on blog too, because it looks more beautiful.
Art, that beak like structure you mention are the premaxillae; they extend slightly further than the maxillae in most cetaceans (and mammals).
"Art, that beak like structure you mention are the premaxillae; they extend slightly further than the maxillae in most cetaceans (and mammals)"
Looks to be a different material. Is it bone similar to the rest of the skeleton?
Art-- Yes, it's bone. I don't recall it as contrasting in color with other bones in other Blue Whale skeletons I have seen: I suspect the appearance here is either discoloration or a trick of the lighting.
Excellent photo! I think this may have been constructed of a number of different skeletons? That may account for the different color contrasts? I think I prefer to look at ones that still have their skin on, lol.