Marine Mammals Midterm

Characteristics of Marine Mammals

feed from the sea, adapted to spend significant time in the sea, mammary glands, live birth, and fur/hair at some point in life

Carnivorous Marine Mammals

Dolphins, Sea Otters, Polar Bears, and Sea Lions

Herbivorous Marine Mammals

Manatees/Dugongs

Main two evolutionary changes in whales

reduction of hind legs and movement of nostrils

Cetartiodactyla

even toed and is an early ancestor to whales

What is the most closely related terrestrial species to whales

the hippo

Pakicetus

land animal, foraging in water, changes in ear

Ambulocetus

mostly in water but also walking on land, starting to lose hind legs

Basilosaurus

Alabama state fossil, fully in water, little nubs for hind legs, and nostrils begin to migrate

Modern Cetaceans

no hind legs, nostrils/blowhole on top

Polar Bear Evolution

evolved from a brown bear, adapted to colder environments in ABC Islands over 500,000 years ago

Pinniped Evolution

began as land animal and adapted to life in the water, still come on land to mate/give birth

Puijila darwini

webbed feet, still walking on land, fossils in Canada, locations indicate freshwater

Enaliarctos

found in California, more adapted to sea, now sexually dimorphic

Sea Otter Evolution

evolved in N Pacific 2 million years ago, Family: Mustelidae

What is the most closely related terrestrial animal to Sirenians?

the elephant

Mysticetes =

baleen whales w/ two blowholes

Odontocetes =

toothed whales w/ one blowhole

Balaenidae

the right whales: skim feeders, robust, no dorsal fin, heavy downturned jaw, calocities

Southern Right Whale

Eubalaena australis

North Atlantic Right Whale

Eubalaena glacialis

Pacific Right Whale

Eubalaena japonica

Bowhead

Balaena mysticetus

Eschrichtiidae

no dorsal, grey splotchy color, bottom feeders

Grey Whale

Eschrichtus robustus

Pygmy Right Whale

Neobalaenidae: Caperea marginata

Balaenopteridae

gulp feeders, dorsal fin, slender and elongated body/jaw

Fin Whale

Balaenoptera physalus

Blue Whale

Balaenoptera musculus

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

Sei Whale

Balaenoptera borealis

Northern Minke Whale

Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Southern Minke Whale

Balaenoptera bonaerensis

Bryde’s Whale

Balaenoptera edeni

Monodontidae

Narwhal and Belugas

Narwhal

Monodon monoceros

Beluga

Delphinapterus leucas

Sperm Whale

Physeteridae: Physeter macrocephalus

Asian River Dolphin

Platanistidae: Platanista gangetica

Amazon River Dolphin

Iniidae: Inia geoffrensis

La Plata Dolphin

Ponotoporiidae: Ponotoporia blainvillei

Kogiidae

Pygmy and Dwarf Sperm Whale

Pygmy Sperm Whale

Kogia breviceps

Dwarf Sperm Whale

Kogia sima

Baird’s Beaked Whale

Berardius bairdii

Phocoenidae

porpoises: spade shaped teeth and a raised protuberance

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus

Harbor Porpoise

Phocoena phocoena

Burmeister’s Porpoise

Phocoena spinipinnis

Spectacled Porpoise

Phocoena dioptrica

Dall’s Porpoise

Phocoenoides dalli

Finless Porpoise

Neophocaena sp

Delphinidae

marine dolphins

Rough Toothed Dolphins

Steno bredanensis

Indo Pacific Humpback Dolphin

Sousa chinensis

Tucuxi

Sotalia fluviatilis

White Beaked Dolphin

Lagenorhynchus albirostris

Atlantic White Sided Dolphin

Lagenorhynchus acutus

Dusky Dolphin

Lagenorhynchus obscurus

Pacific White Sided Dolphin

Lagenorhynchus obliquidens

Hourglass Dolphin

Lagenorhynchus cruciger

Peale’s Dolphin

Lagenorhynchus australis

Risso’s Dolphin

Grampus griseus

Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin

Stenella frontalis

Pantropical Spotted Dolphin

Stenella attenuata

Spinner Dolphin

Stenella longirostris

Clymene Dolphin

Stenella clymene

Striped Dolphin

Stenella coeruleoalba

Common Dolphin

Delphinus delphis

Fraser’s Dolphin

Lagenodelphis hosei

Northern Right Whale Dolphin

Lissodelphis borealis

Southern Right Whale Dolphin

Lissodelphis peronii

Commerson’s Dolphin

Cephalorhynchus commersonii

Chilean Dolphin

Cephalorhynchus eutropia

Heavisides Dolphin

Cephalorhynchus heavisidii

Hector’s Dolphin

Cephalorhynchus hectori

Melon Headed Whale

Peponocephala electra

Pygmy Killer Whale

Feresa attenuate

False Killer Whale

Pseudorca crassidens

Killer Whale

Orcinus orca

Long-finned Pilot Whale

Globicephala melas

Short-finned Pilot Whale

Globicephala macrorhynchus

Irrawaddy Dolphin

Orcaella brevirostris

Neonate

under a month old

Young of Year

between 1 month and a year

Chuf

loud, purposeful exhalation

Tail slap

very loud and repeated movement

Three Types of Behavior when on boat

Travel, Feeding, and Social Behavior

Polar Bear

Ursus maritimus

Sea Otter

Enhydra lutris

Florida Manatee

Trichechus manatus latirostris

Antillean Manatee

Trichechus manatus manatus

Amazonian Manatee

Trichechus inunguis

African Manatee

Trichechus senegalensis

Dugong

Dugong dugon

Manatee vs Dugong

tail shapes differ, head size/shape differ, Dugongs only eat the sea grass on sea bed while Manatees eat many things in the water column

Odobenidae

walrus

Otariidae

eared seals

Phocidae

earless seals or true seals