Studied by 2 peopletetrapod
Vertebrates that have two pairs of legs, a group that includes the cetaceans.
temperature dependent sex determination
In reptiles, where the sex of offspring is determined by the temperature at which they were incubated.
carapace
an armor like shell fused to the backbone of sea turtles
salt glands
A gland that secretes excess salts in seabirds and sea turtles.
Erythrocyte
A specialized type of blood cell that carries hemoglobin in vertebrates.
guano
The accumulation of the excrement of seabirds.
placenta
A membrane that connects the embryo with the mother's womb to provide nourishment.
subspecies
A geographically isolated group of a larger species
blowhole
The nostrils of cetaceans.
mammary glands
The milk-secreting glands of mammals.
convergent evolution
Evolution in which two different species evolve similar structures because of similar lifestyles.
ambergris
Undigested material that accumulates in sperm whale intestines.
blubber
A thick layer of fat under the skin of many marine mammals.
flukes
A group of parasitic flatworms.
pods
A school of cetaceans.
baleen
toothless whales
spout
The water vapor and seawater that is observed when whales surface and exhale.
bradychardia
The slowing down of heart rate during diving in marine mammals.
spermaceti organ
The melon of sperm whales. It contains spermaceti, an oil once widely used in candle making.
beaching
A cetacean behavior that involves the stranding individuals or groups on beaches.
ovulation
The release of an egg from the ovary.
bends
A painful condition in divers caused by nitrogen bubbles in the blood as a result of surfacing too quickly.
echolocation
The ability of some animals to sense their surroundings by analyzing the reflection of sound waves, or clicks, they emit.
harems
A large group of females herded by a large male pinniped for the purpose of mating; harems also occur in some fishes.
gestation
The length of time between fertilization and birth in mammals.
apneustic breathing
Breathing pattern shown in many marine mammals that involves deep breaths followed by exhalation.
melon
A fatty structure on the forehead of some cetaceans that is used to direct sound waves emitted during echolocation.
breaching
Leaping into the air by whales.
bachelor groups
Groups of male pinnipeds that are not in control of harems.
delayed implantation
The delay in the attachment of the early embryo to the womb in pinnipeds and some other mammals in order to time birth with favorable conditions.
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