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Whale Glossary |  |
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UNGULATE Ungulates are hoofed, herbivorous, placental mammals (like horses, pigs, deer and camels). Whales evolved from land-dwelling ungulates. The hoof is made of the protein keratin. |
VENTRAL Ventral means of, pertaining to, or near an animal's underside or lower surface of the body. |
VENTRAL GROOVES Rorqual whales (Family Balaenopteridae), a type of baleen whales, have ventral grooves (throat grooves) that allow their throat to expand during the huge intake of water during filter feeding. When they eat,these grooves expand, allowing them to take huge gulps of water, forcing it through their short baleen to filter out tiny organisms. |
VERTEBRAE Vertebrae are the bones of the spinal column. |
VERTEBRATE Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone. The backbone consists of ring-like bones (vertebrae) that protect the soft spinal cord. Vertebrates evolved during the Cambrian period, over 500 million years ago. The first vertebrates were jawless, toothless fish (agnathans). Other vertebrates include the amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Classification: Kingdom Metazoa, Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata. |
VIBRASSAE Vibrassae are stubble-like whiskers that Cetaceans have on their snouts. Vibrassae are used as tactile indicators - like a cat's whiskers. |
VIVIPAROUS Viviparous animals are born live and do not hatch from eggs. Whales are viviparous. |
WEANED An animal that is weaned is no longer taking milk from its mother. |
WHALEBONE Whalebone is another name for baleen, the comb-like filters that Mysticeti whales use to filter food. Whalebone is made of keratin, not bone. This flexible, material was used as a plastic-like substance before plastics were invented. |
WHALE OIL Whale oil is rendered (melted) blubber. |
WHALER A whaler is someone who kills whales. |
WHALES Whales are large marine mammals. Some whales have teeth, others have baleen that filters small animals out of the water. |
 WHALE WATCHING Whale watching is an activity in which people observe whales in their natural habitat. |
WHALING Whaling is the act of killing whales. |
 WHITE-SPOTTED DOLPHIN Also known as the Pantropical Spotted or Brindled Dolphin, this small, toothed whale lives in tropical waters worldwide. This cetacean has a long, beaklike snout, a falcate (sickle-shaped) dorsal fin, and conical teeth. Classification: Suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales), family Delphinidae, Genus Stenella, Species attenuata. |
Wolf of the Sea Orcas, or killer whales, (Orcinus orca) are toothed whales that are sometimes called the "Wolf of the Sea." They are powerful carnivores that eat fish, squid, and marine mammals. They grow to be about 27 feet long (8 m) and weigh about 8,000 - 12,000 pounds (3600-5400 kg). |
 ZEUGLODON Zeuglodon, also known as Basilosaurus, was a primitive whale. |
 ZOOPLANKTON Zooplankton are the tiny animals that float passively in the water and are a component of plankton (the passively floating animal and plant life of a body of water). Zooplankton obtain food from the environment (and not by photosynthesis). |
ZYGORHIZA Zygorhiza was an archaeocete whale that lived during the late Eocene, about 40 million years ago. This ancient marine mammal had a long snout that contained many sharp teeth. The nostrils were located towards the end of the snout. Although retaining some land-animal characteristcs (like differentiated teeth), it was more whale-like than Basiliosaurus. It had a snake-like body and small hindlimbs (including a mobile knee and toes). Many fossils have been found in the southeastern USA, including Mississippi, Florida, and Georgia. The type species of this dorudontid is Zygorhiza kochii, named by Riechenbach. |
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Whale Glossary |
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