Baleen WhalesBaleen Whales

Louis RuspiLouis Ruspi BIO109 April 13, 2011BIO109 April 13, 2011

How Baleen Evolved•Aetiocetus

•MMP20(ename-lysin)

•CHR-2 SINE

•Tooth buds present in fetal stages

BaleenBaleen

• KeratinKeratin

• Fine or CoarseFine or Coarse

Food Sources

Krill Copepods Squid

Sand lance Zooplankton Fish

ClassificationClassification

• Kingdom: AnimaliaKingdom: Animalia• Phylum: ChordataPhylum: Chordata• Subphylum: VeterebrataSubphylum: Veterebrata• Class: MammaliaClass: Mammalia• Order: CetaceaOrder: Cetacea• Suborder: MysticetiSuborder: Mysticeti• Family: Balaenidae, Balaenopteridae, Family: Balaenidae, Balaenopteridae,

Eschrichtidae, and Neobalaenidae Eschrichtidae, and Neobalaenidae

Family: BalaenidaeFamily: Balaenidae

• Bowhead whale Bowhead whale Balaena mysticetusBalaena mysticetus

• Northern right whale Northern right whale Eubalaena Eubalaena glacialisglacialis

• Southern right whale Southern right whale Eubalaena Eubalaena australisaustralis

Bowhead whale Bowhead whale Balaena mysticetusBalaena mysticetus

• The only baleen The only baleen whale to spend all its whale to spend all its time in Arctic waterstime in Arctic waters

• 17,000 in existence17,000 in existence

• Skim feeders Skim feeders

Northern right whale Northern right whale Eubalaena glacialisEubalaena glacialis

• North Atlantic and North North Atlantic and North PacificPacific

• Callosities on top of Callosities on top of head and lower jaw.head and lower jaw.

• Skim feedersSkim feeders• Population 500-1,000Population 500-1,000 in

existence

Southern right whale Southern right whale Eubalaena australisEubalaena australis

• Approx. 3,000 in Approx. 3,000 in existenceexistence

• Skim FeedersSkim Feeders

Family: BalaenopteridaeFamily: Balaenopteridae

• Minke whale Minke whale Balaenoptera Balaenoptera acutorostrataacutorostrata

• Sei whale Sei whale Balaenoptera borealisBalaenoptera borealis

• Bryde’s whale Bryde’s whale Balaenoptera edeniBalaenoptera edeni

• Blue whale Blue whale Balaenoptera musculusBalaenoptera musculus

• Fin whale Fin whale Balaenoptera physalusBalaenoptera physalus

• Humpback whale Humpback whale Megaptera Megaptera novaeangliaenovaeangliae

Minke whale Minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrataBalaenoptera acutorostrata

• Second smallest Baleen whaleSecond smallest Baleen whale

• The most abundant of baleen The most abundant of baleen whaleswhales

• Gulp feedersGulp feeders

• 800,000 minke whales world-800,000 minke whales world-widewide

Bryde’s whale Bryde’s whale Balaenoptera edeniBalaenoptera edeni

• 90,000-100,000 90,000-100,000 whales worldwidewhales worldwide

• Gulp feeders

• Rostral Ridges

Sei whale Sei whale Balaenoptera borealisBalaenoptera borealis

• Third largest whaleThird largest whale

• population about population about 80,00080,000

• Gulp feeders and Gulp feeders and skim feedersskim feeders

• Single Rostral ridgeSingle Rostral ridge

Fin whale Fin whale Balaenoptera physalusBalaenoptera physalus

• Second largest Baleen whale

• Ventral Jaw characteristics

• 50,000 -60,000 world wide

• Gulp feeders

Blue whale Blue whale Balaenoptera musculusBalaenoptera musculus

• Largest mammalLargest mammal

• Population 12,000-15,000 world widePopulation 12,000-15,000 world wide

• GestationGestation

Humpback WhaleHumpback Whale

• 80,000 humpback 80,000 humpback whales worldwidewhales worldwide

• Complex whale Complex whale songsong

• Gulp feedersGulp feeders

Family: EschrichtidaeFamily: Eschrichtidae• gray whale (gray whale (Eschrichtius robustusEschrichtius robustus))

• Dorsal HumpDorsal Hump

• Benthic feedersBenthic feeders

• population size of 76,000–118,000 population size of 76,000–118,000 individualsindividuals

Family: NeobalaenidaeFamily: Neobalaenidae

• pygmy right whale (pygmy right whale (Caperea Caperea marginatamarginata))

• Population and feeding habits Population and feeding habits unknownunknown

Sources• Reeves, Randall. Stewart, Brent. Clapham, Phillip.

Powell, James. Guide to Marine Mammals of the world. New York: Knpof, Alfred

• SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. Baleen Whales. Sea World/Busch Gardens Animals. http://www.swbg-animals.org/. Apr 12, 2011

• Pseudogenization of the tooth gene enamelysin (MMP20) in the common ancestor of extant baleen whales. Aug 31, 2010 Meredith, Robert. Apr 12, 2011. <http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2010/09/16/rspb.2010.1280.abstract>

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