marine mammals brian schuster. taxonomy kingdom animalia phylum chordata subphylum vertebrata class...
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Marine Mammals
Brian Schuster
TaxonomyKingdom Animalia
Phylum ChordataSubphylum Vertebrata
Class MammaliaOrder Cetacea – Dolphins & WhalesOrder Sirenia – Manatees &
DugongsOrder Carnivora
Suborder CaniformiaSuperfamily Pinnipedia –
Seals, Sealions, and Walruses
Evolution
Mammals first evolved to live on land, then evolved to live in water again later on.
Adaptations for Living in WaterHeat travels 25 times faster in water:• Blubber and/or fur used for insulation• Higher core body temperature• Mother’s milk contains 40-50% fatSwimming• Horizontal Caudal fin unlike fishes’ vertical
one• Whales have no fur because it causes drag
Movement Classifications
• Plankton: floats there, does not move itself– Neuston: floats on the surface of the
water
• Nekton: swims freely through water
Baleen
Excerpt from Wikipedia: “Baleen makes up baleen plates, which are arranged in two rows that look like combs of thick hair; they are attached to the upper jaws of baleen whales. It is composed of keratin, which is the same substance that makes up human hair and nails. Whales use these combs for filter feeding. Whales are the only vertebrate group to use this method of feeding in great abundance.”
Whales to Know
Largest Whales• Blue Whale: 90-100 ft• Fin Whale: 88 ft
Right Whale• One species is virtually extinct due to
whale hunting
Blue Whale
Manatees• Sometimes called sea cows, these
slow herbivores are silly