Hearing and Age Estimation in Two Species of Arctic Whale

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Hearing and Age Estimation in Two Species of Arctic Whale HEARING AND AGE ESTIMATION IN TWO SPECIES OF ARCTIC WHALE A dissertation submitted to Kent State University in cooperation with Northeast Ohio Medical University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Jennifer Dawn Sensor August 2017 © Copyright All rights reserved Except for previously published materials Dissertation written by Jennifer Dawn Sensor B.S., Pennsylvania State University, 2008 Ph.D., Kent State University, 2017 Approved by J.G.M. Thewissen, Ph.D._________, Chair, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Jeffrey J. Wenstrup, Ph.D.________, Members, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Christopher J. Vinyard, Ph.D. ___ _ Lisa N. Cooper, PhD. __________ Mary Ann Raghanti, Ph.D.________ Accepted by Ernest J. Freeman, Ph.D._________, Director, School of Biomedical Sciences James L. Blank, Ph.D.___________, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………………….......v LIST OF TABLES...………………………………………………………………………….....ix PREFACE…………………………………………………………………………………….......x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………………….....xi CHAPTER I……………………………………………………………………………………...1 Evolution of the cetacean ear………….…..……………………………………………….4 Generalized hearing model…………....……………………………………………….......4 The outer ear of Cetacea…………………..……………………………………………….6 The middle ear of Cetacea…………………..……………………………………………..8 The inner ear of Cetacea…………………..……………………………………………...12 Communication and hearing in belugas…...……………………………………………...13 Communication and hearing in bowheads..……………………………………………...14 Under water anthropogenic sounds in the Arctic.………………………………………...14 Age estimation in bowheads…..…………..……………………………………………...16 Summary of the dissertation……………………………………………………………..17 CHAPTER II……………………………………………………………………………………19 The spiral ganglion and Rosenthal’s canal of beluga whales Introduction.……………………………………………………………………………...20 Materials and Methods.…………………………………………………………………..24 Results……………………………………………………………………………………39 Discussion………………………………………………………………………………..41 Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………48 iii CHAPTER III…………………………………………………………………………………..49 Spiral ganglion and Rosenthal’s canal in a low-frequency baleen whale: the bowhead whale Introduction……………………………………………………………………………....50 Materials and Methods…………………………………………………………………...52 Results……………………………………………………………………………………59 Discussion………………………………………………………………………………..61 Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………70 CHAPTER IV…………………………………………………………………………………...72 Age estimation in bowhead whales using tympanic bulla histology and baleen isotopes Introduction…………………………………………………………………....................73 Materials and Methods…………………………………………………………………...74 Results……………………………………………………………………………………78 Discussion………………………………………………………………………………..89 Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………96 CHAPTER V……………………………………………………………………………………98 Concluding Remarks Contributions to the field………………………………………………………………..106 Future directions……….………………………………………………………………..106 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………...109 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1…………………………………………………………………………………………2 Distribution map of bowhead and beluga whales Figure 1.2.......................................................................................................................................3 The spiral ganglion and Rosenthal’s canal of beluga and bowhead Figure 1.3………………………………………………………………………………...……….7 Sound reception pathway for modern land mammals versus odontocetes Figure 1.4…………………………………………………………………………………………9 Representative views of the petro-tympanic complex of odontocetes and mysticetes Figure 2.1………………………………………………………………………………………..27 Delphinapterus leucas microCT scan Figure 2.2………………………………………………………………………………………..28 Delphinapterus leucas AMIRA3-D reconstructions of bony labyrinth and spiral ganglion Figure 2.3………………………………………………………………………………………..30 Delphinapterus leucas specimen dissection and preparation Figure 2.4………………………………………………………………………………………..32 Delphinapterus leucas petrosal showing anatomy and different stages of dissection Figure 2.5………………………………………………………………………………………..34 Delphinapterus leucas cochlear segment map Figure 2.6………………………………………………………………………………………..35 Delphinapterus leucas spiral ganglion histological sections of specimen 2010LDL21 Right v Figure 2.7………………………………………………………………………………………..37 Delphinapterus leucas, three variables of the spiral ganglion plotted against their cochlear position Figure 2.8………………………………………………………………………………………..45 Natural logarithm of spiral ganglion counts and basilar membrane length versus body weight for several cetaceans. Figure 2.9.………………………………………………………………………………………47 Delphinapterus leucas, number of ganglion cells in segments of the spiral ganglion against mean histological cross-sectional area of that segment Figure 3.1………………………………………………………………………………………..54 Balaena mysticetus boney anatomy and microCT scan Figure 3.2………………………………………………………………………………………..55 Balaena mysticetus AMIRA3-D reconstructions of cochlea and Rosenthal’s canal Figure 3.3………………………………………………………………………………………..56 Balaena mysticetus, three variables of the spiral ganglion plotted against their position along the cochlea Figure 3.4………………………………………………………………………………………..58 Balaena mysticetus cochlear segment map of 2012B18R Figure 3.5………………………………………………………………………………………..62 Balaena mysticetus, spiral ganglion histological sections specific distances from the base Figure 3.6………………………………………………………………………………………..63 Balaena mysticetus, enlarged histological image of specimen 2010B15R vi Figure 3.7………………………………………………………………………………………..69 Balanena mysticetus, number of ganglion cells in segments of the spiral ganglion against mean histological cross-sectional area of that segment Figure 4.1……………………………………………………………………………………......75 Balaena mysticetus, the tympanic bulla Figure 4.2……………………………………………………………………………………......81 Balaena mysticetus, baleen isotope signatures and tympanic GLGs for multiple whales Figure 4.3……………………………………………………………………………………......82 Balaena mysticetus, baleen isotope signature and tympanic GLGs for whale NSB-DWM 2013B18 Figure 4.4……………………………………………………………………………………......83 Balaena mysticetus, baleen isotope signature and tympanic GLGs of whale NSB-DWM 2011B9 Figure 4.5……………………………………………………………………………………......84 Balaena mysticetus, baleen isotope signature and tympanic GLGs of whale NSB-DWM 2013B1 Figure 4.6……………………………………………………………………………………......85 Balaena mysticetus, region 3 microstructure of six tympanic bone slices under brightfield magnification Figure 4.7……………………………………………………………………………………......86 Balaena mysticetus, region 3 of two whale specimens displaying GLG variability Figure 4.8………………………………………………………………………………………..88 δ13C signatures of tympanic bone and baleen transects vii Figure 4.9………………………………………………………………………………………..91 Tympanic bulla GLG counts plotted against four other variables from these same bowhead individuals Figure 5.1……………………………………………………………………………………....100 Three variables of the spiral ganglion plotted against their position along the cochlea Figure 5.2………………………………………………………………………………………102 Attenuation of sound in fresh and sea water, dB per km and Hz (Denny 1993) Figure 5.3………………………………………………………………………………………104 Natural logarithm of spiral ganglion counts and basilar membrane length versus natural logarithm of body weight for several cetaceans and terrestrial mammals Figure 5.4………………………………………………………………………………………108 GLGs in the periosteal region of the tympanic bone of fossil Eocene whale, Nalacetus viii LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1..………………………………………………………………………………………..26 Date of sampling, sex, length, and relative age of beluga whales used in this inner ear study Table 2.2........................................................................................................................................43 Species, number of cochlear whorls, basilar membrane length (mm) and estimated spiral ganglion neuron number for several odontocete species Table 3.1………………………………………………………………………………...…….....65 Morphometric data and number of neurons in the spiral ganglion for multiple mysticete whales Table 3.2..………………………………………………………………………………………..68 Biological data on the bowheads used in this inner ear study Table 4.1…………………………………………………………………………………………79 Estimated parameters for the von Bertalanffy II growth model of Lubetkin et al. (2012) Table 4.2…………………………………………………………………………………………90 List of bowhead whale specimens used in this age estimation study Table 5.1………………………………………………………………………………………103 Approximate body weight, basilar membrane length, and number of spiral ganglion neurons in multiple mysticetes, odontocetes, and terrestrial mammals ix PREFACE Chapters I and V of this document are original material written for the purpose of the dissertation. Chapter II was originally published as a research article in the Journal of Morphology in 2015. Contributing authors are Jennifer D. Sensor (myself), R. Suydam, J. C. George, M. C. Liberman, D. Lovano, M. A. Rhaganti, S. Usip, C. J. Vinyard, and J. G. M. Thewissen. J.G.M. Thewissen and I designed the research and wrote the paper, and all contributing authors performed the research and/or analyzed the data. Chapter IV was has been accepted for publication in Marine Mammal Science. Contributing authors are Jennifer D. Sensor (myself), J. C. George, M.T. Clementz, D. M. Lovano, D. A. Waugh, G. H. Givens, R. Suydam, R. Stimmelmayr, and J. G. M. Thewissen. J.G.M. Thewissen and I designed the research, all contributing authors performed the research and/or analyzed that data, and J.G.M Thewissen, M.T. Clementz, G.H. Givens, and I wrote
Recommended publications
  • Whale Evolution Lab – Page 1
    Whale Evolution Lab – Page 1 Whale Evolution Lab Adapted from http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb PRELAB (recommended)… FROM LAND TO WATER: A Whale Evolution Internet Activity http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/lessons/whalekiosk.html Click on “SCREEN” to “Find Out More” A. Anatomy B. Fossil record C. Molecular evidence A. WHALE ANATOMY 1. What does the Latin word “cetus” mean? 2. What three groups of organisms are considered cetaceans? 3. What are the two subgroups of cetaceans? 4. What characterizes the subgroup Odontoceti? 5. What characterizes the subgroup Mysticeti? 6. Follow the instructions given to compare anatomical parts. Click on the labels to compare the whale’s anatomy with that of a fish and a cat. Fill out the chart below with your answers to each structure, by placing an “X” under the organism whose structure is more similar to the whale’s. Structure FISH CAT Structure FISH CAT Ears Forelimb Eyes Jaw Lungs Mammary gland 7. According to the anatomical evidence, which organism is more closely related to a whale…fish or cat? 8. Draw and label the cladogram that you created for the whale, fish, and cat below. 9. What is the relationship between whales and cats? B. FOSSIL RECORD 1. What is a fossil? 2. What are the most likely parts to become fossilized? 3. What are trace fossils? List some examples. 4. What is a coprolite? 5. What fossilized anatomical structure can be useful to anatomists? 6. Compare the fossil teeth of whales to the other organisms on the website. What sort of organism has fossil teeth most similar to whale teeth? 7.
    [Show full text]
  • Thomas Jefferson Meg Tooth
    The ECPHORA The Newsletter of the Calvert Marine Museum Fossil Club Volume 30 Number 3 September 2015 Thomas Jefferson Meg Tooth Features Thomas Jefferson Meg The catalogue number Review; Walking is: ANSP 959 Whales Inside The tooth came from Ricehope Estate, Snaggletooth Shark Cooper River, Exhibit South Carolina. Tiktaalik Clavatulidae In 1806, it was Juvenile Bald Eagle originally collected or Sculpting Whale Shark owned by Dr. William Moroccan Fossils Reid. Prints in the Sahara Volunteer Outing to Miocene-Pliocene National Geographic coastal plain sediments. Dolphins in the Chesapeake Sloth Tooth Found SharkFest Shark Iconography in Pre-Columbian Panama Hippo Skulls CT- Scanned Squalus sp. Teeth Sperm Whale Teeth On a recent trip to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (Philadelphia), Collections Manager Ned Gilmore gave John Nance and me a behind -the-scenes highlights tour. Among the fossils that belonged to Thomas☼ Jefferson (left; American Founding Father, principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and third President of the United States) was this Carcharocles megalodon tooth. Jefferson’s interests and knowledge were encyclopedic; a delight to know that they included paleontology. Hand by J. Nance. Photo by S. Godfrey. Jefferson portrait from: http://www.biography.com/people/thomas-jefferson-9353715 ☼ CALVERT MARINE MUSEUM www.calvertmarinemuseum.com 2 The Ecphora September 2015 Book Review: The Walking 41 million years ago and has worldwide distribution. It was fully aquatic, although it did have residual Whales hind limbs. In later chapters, Professor Thewissen George F. Klein discusses limb development and various genetic factors that make whales, whales. This is a The full title of this book is The Walking complicated topic, but I found these chapters very Whales — From Land to Water in Eight Million clear and readable.
    [Show full text]
  • WHALE HUNT: SEARCHING for WHALE FOSSILS: a SHORTER NARRATIVE More Suitable for Teacher-Directed “Whale Hunt”
    WHALE HUNT: SEARCHING FOR WHALE FOSSILS: a SHORTER NARRATIVE More Suitable for Teacher-Directed “Whale Hunt” 1. We have NO fossils of modern whales earlier than about 25 million years ago (mya). However, for many years, we have been finding a number of fossils of various primitive whales (archaeocetes) between 25 and 45 million years old, and somewhat different from modern whales, e.g. with very distinctive teeth An example of these early whales would be Dorudon. Place the fossil picture strip of Dorudon at about 36 mya on your timeline (actual range about 39-36 mya); (“mya”= millions of years ago). 2. As more fossils have been discovered from the early Eocene (55 to 34 mya), we searched for a land mammal from which whales most likely evolved. The group of animals that had features like those distinctive teeth that are also found in the earliest primitive whales, was called the Mesonychids. A typical example of these animals was Pachyaena. Mesonychids also had hooves, suggesting that whales may be related to other animals with hooves, like cows, horses, deer and pigs. Place the Pachyaena strip at about the 55 mya level on your timeline. Mesonychids lived from 58-34 mya. 3. In 1983, all we had were these primitive whales and mesonychids, with a big gap in between. This year, paleontologist Philip Gingerich was searching in Eocene deposits in Pakistan, and found the skull of an amazing fossil. It had teeth like the Dorudon whale, with whale-like ear bones and other features, but it was much older (50 mya), and there were indications that it had four legs.
    [Show full text]
  • The Walking Whales
    The Walking Whales From Land to Water in Eight Million Years J. G. M. “Hans” Thewissen with illustrations by Jacqueline Dillard university of california press The Walking Whales The Walking Whales From Land to Water in Eight Million Years J. G. M. “Hans” Thewissen with illustrations by Jacqueline Dillard university of california press University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University of California Press Oakland, California © 2014 by The Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Thewissen, J. G. M., author. The walking whales : from land to water in eight million years / J.G.M. Thewissen ; with illustrations by Jacqueline Dillard. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-520-27706-9 (cloth : alk. paper)— isbn 978-0-520-95941-5 (e-book) 1. Whales, Fossil—Pakistan. 2. Whales, Fossil—India. 3. Whales—Evolution. 4. Paleontology—Pakistan. 5. Paleontology—India. I. Title. QE882.C5T484 2015 569′.5—dc23 2014003531 Printed in China 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48–1992 (r 2002) (Permanence of Paper). Cover illustration (clockwise from top right): Basilosaurus, Ambulocetus, Indohyus, Pakicetus, and Kutchicetus.
    [Show full text]
  • How Many Species of Mammals Are There?
    Journal of Mammalogy, 99(1):1–14, 2018 DOI:10.1093/jmammal/gyx147 INVITED PAPER How many species of mammals are there? CONNOR J. BURGIN,1 JOCELYN P. COLELLA,1 PHILIP L. KAHN, AND NATHAN S. UPHAM* Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725, USA (CJB) Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC03-2020, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA (JPC) Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA (PLK) Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA (NSU) Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605, USA (NSU) 1Co-first authors. * Correspondent: [email protected] Accurate taxonomy is central to the study of biological diversity, as it provides the needed evolutionary framework for taxon sampling and interpreting results. While the number of recognized species in the class Mammalia has increased through time, tabulation of those increases has relied on the sporadic release of revisionary compendia like the Mammal Species of the World (MSW) series. Here, we present the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD), a digital, publically accessible, and updateable list of all mammalian species, now available online: https://mammaldiversity.org. The MDD will continue to be updated as manuscripts describing new species and higher taxonomic changes are released. Starting from the baseline of the 3rd edition of MSW (MSW3), we performed a review of taxonomic changes published since 2004 and digitally linked species names to their original descriptions and subsequent revisionary articles in an interactive, hierarchical database. We found 6,495 species of currently recognized mammals (96 recently extinct, 6,399 extant), compared to 5,416 in MSW3 (75 extinct, 5,341 extant)—an increase of 1,079 species in about 13 years, including 11 species newly described as having gone extinct in the last 500 years.
    [Show full text]
  • Not for Sale
    NOT FOR SALE © Roberts and Company Publishers, ISBN: 9781936221448, due August 23, 2013, For examination purposes only FINAL PAGES NOT FOR SALE The earliest whales, such as the 47-million-year-old Ambulocetus, still had legs. Their anatomy gives us clues to how whales made the transition from land to sea. © Roberts and Company Publishers, ISBN: 9781936221448, due August 23, 2013, For examination purposes only FINAL PAGES NOT FOR SALE Walking 1 Whales Introducing Evolution ne of the best feelings paleontologists can ever have is to realize that they’ve just found a fossil that will fll an empty space in our understanding Oof the history of life. Hans Thewissen got to enjoy that feeling one day in 1993, as he dug a 47-million-year-old fossil out of a hillside in Pakistan. As he picked away the rocks surrounding the FIGURE 1.1 bones of a strange mammal, he suddenly realized what he had Paleontologist Hans Thewissen has discovered many of the bones of found: a whale with legs. Ambulocetus in Pakistan. A hundred million years ago, not a single whale swam in all the world’s oceans. Whales did not yet exist, but their ancestors did. At the time, they were small, furry mammals that walked on land. Over millions of years, some of the descendants of those ancestors underwent a mind-boggling transformation. They lost their legs, traded their nostrils for a blowhole, and became crea- tures of the sea. This profound change was the result of evolution. 3 © Roberts and Company Publishers, ISBN: 9781936221448, due August 23, 2013, For examination purposes only FINAL PAGES NOTThis bookFOR is an introduction to that SALE process.
    [Show full text]
  • The Monophyly of Toothed Whales and the Paraphyly of River Dolphins
    Retroposon analysis of major cetacean lineages: The monophyly of toothed whales and the paraphyly of river dolphins Masato Nikaido†, Fumio Matsuno†, Healy Hamilton‡, Robert L. Brownell, Jr.§, Ying Cao†¶, Wang Dingʈ, Zhu Zuoyanʈ, Andrew M. Shedlock†¶, R. Ewan Fordyce**, Masami Hasegawa¶, and Norihiro Okada†,†† †Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan; ‡Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720; §NOAA, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA 92037; ¶Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Tokyo 106-8569, Japan; ʈInstitute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, Peoples Republic of China; and **Department of Geology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand Communicated by James W. Valentine, University of California, Berkeley, CA, March 22, 2001 (received for review November 30, 2000) SINE (short interspersed element) insertion analysis elucidates higher group, the Platanistoidea (15). However, the appropri- contentious aspects in the phylogeny of toothed whales and ateness of this grouping has been doubted long by both mor- dolphins (Odontoceti), especially river dolphins. Here, we charac- phologists and molecular phylogeneticists (refs. 4, 6, 12, 13, 16, terize 25 informative SINEs inserted into unique genomic loci 17, 18, and 19; Fig. 1), and the debate is ongoing. Uncertainty during evolution of odontocetes to construct a cladogram, and about the phylogeny of river dolphins reflects not only high determine a total of 2.8 kb per taxon of the flanking sequences of skeletal disparity among living species, but also a fragmentary these SINE loci to estimate divergence times among lineages.
    [Show full text]
  • Contaminants and Biomarker Assays in Beluga Whales from the Eastern Chukchi Sea
    CONTAMINANTS AND BIOMARKER ASSAYS IN BELUGA WHALES FROM THE EASTERN CHUKCHI SEA NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROGRESS REPORT, CONTRACT 2013-017 Submitted to: Dr. Robert Suydam North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management Barrow, Alaska 99723 (907) 852-0350 Submitted by: Mote Marine Laboratory Directorate of Marine Biology & Conservation 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 388-4441 (941) 388-4223 FAX Dr. Dana L. Wetzel and Dr. John E. Reynolds Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34236 2 March 2015 Mote Marine Laboratory Technical Report Number 1880 PROGRESS REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH, DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROJECT TITLE: Contaminants and Biomarker Assays in Beluga Whales from the Eastern Chukchi Sea CONTRACT NUMBER: 2013-017 DATE: 2 March 2015 SUBMITTED TO: Dr. Robert Suydam SUBMITTED BY: Dr. Dana Wetzel and Dr. John Reynolds Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida PROJECT END DATE: The anticipated end date is December 2015. At that time all funds will be spent and all analyses will be completed and interpreted. A final report will be submitted by 1 January 2016. Introduction: The project has three primary components, namely 1) age determination, 2) analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other classes of organic contaminants, and (3) assessment of selected biomarkers of effects of stressors. The results achieved to date will be described separately in this report. Samples (eye lens, serum, blubber, and liver) were acquired by a team of scientists led by Dr. Robert Suydam (North Slope Borough, Department of Wildlife Management; NSB) during the 2012 subsistence harvest of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) by the community of Point Lay, Alaska.
    [Show full text]
  • Pakicetus Were Similar to Land Images
    S u p p l e m e n t Whale Ears By Dr. Carl Werner A p p e n d i x 1 S u p p l e m e n t S u p p l e m e n t First Edition Version 7 Introduction © Copyright May 2014, Audio Visual Consultants, Inc. Author’s Note: This supplement to Appen- Before proceeding, it would be best to first Copyright © 2014 by Carl Werner. All rights reserved. dix F of Evolution: The Grand Experiment (3rd read Chapter 13 and Appendix F of the 3rd No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any edition) provides important information about edition of Evolution: The Grand Experiment. manner whatsoever without written permission of the the function and gross anatomy of the external Next, it is very important to read the press publisher except in the case of brief quotations in articles and middle ear of land animals, whales and release at TheGrandExperiment.com under the and reviews. For more information contact Dr. Werner purported “walking whales.” This material was “Whale Evolution” tab. Finally, take a brief through the Grand Experiment web page. not included in the book, the e-book or the video look at the chart below detailing the classifica- series because of space considerations. tion of whales and dolphins in the mammal order called Cetacea. You will then be prepared Please visit our web site for other great titles: to better understand this important information. www.TheGrandExperiment.com Cetacea Odontocete Mysticete (Cetacea with Teeth) (Cetacea without Teeth) Toothed Whales Toothed Dolphins Baleen Whales -Orca Whale -Bottlenose Dolphin -Humpback Whale -Sperm Whale -Spinner Dolphin -Gray Whale -Beluga Whale -Atlantic Spotted Dolphin -Right Whale -Etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Evolution and Development of Cetacean Appendages Across the Cetartiodactylan Land-To-Sea Transition
    EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF CETACEAN APPENDAGES A dissertation submitted to Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Lisa Noelle Cooper December, 2009 Dissertation written by Lisa Noelle Cooper B.S., Montana State University, 1999 M.S., San Diego State University, 2004 Ph.D., Kent State University, 2009 Approved by _____________________________________, Chair, Doctoral Dissertation Committee J.G.M. Thewissen _____________________________________, Members, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Walter E. Horton, Jr. _____________________________________, Christopher Vinyard _____________________________________, Jeff Wenstrup Accepted by _____________________________________, Director, School of Biomedical Sciences Robert V. Dorman _____________________________________, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Timothy Moerland ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLELS ......................................................................................................................... vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................. viii Chapters Page I INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 The Eocene Raoellid Indohyus ........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Experiencing Discoveries of Whale Evolution
    Experiencing Discoveries of Whale Evolution Subject: Biology Grade Level: 10th Rational or Purpose: Students will be able to discover fossils of early whales in order to show how, where, and when they evolved from four-legged mammals. Students will explore this concept of evolution by experiencing how historical science works through predicting and testing. Materials: • Classroom timeline showing the Cenozoic era o Can be assembled with printed version OR o Creating your own with butcher paper Scale will be 1 inch = 1 million years, marked at every million years until 65 mya (millions of years ago) Afterwards, mark and label the range of each epoch Last 10,000 years (0.01 inch) Holocene Thin black line at top 2 mya – 10,000 years ago Pleistocene Orange 5 mya – 2 mya Pliocene Blue 24 mya – 5 mya Micoene Yellow 34 mya – 24 mya Olgiocene Green 55 mya – 34 mya Eocene Red 65 mya – 55 mya Paleocene brown • “Whales as Mammals” overhead • Copies of “The Origin of Whales and the Power of Independent Evidence” by Raymond Sutera • For each team: o Timeline of the Eocene epoch (55 to 34 mya) o “Whales in the Making” page with 6 whale-type mammals Strips #1 to 5 need to be placed in separate, numbered envelopes. This will create a sense of real “discovery” while students are gradually “unearthing” the whale fossils during the narrative description. Strip #6 will be held by the teacher. This will be handed out to each team after someone has drawn the predicted fossil traits expected between 46 and 55 mya.
    [Show full text]
  • January 2008
    VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 NEWSLETTER DATE Volume 18, Number 1 January 2008 Prez Sez: Coming Events I hope everyone had a great holiday season! Dave, you did a great Meetings held at the job with the party and everyone brought tasty food, too. Thanks to the Orlando Science Center kids for our candy necklaces and gifts! Roy was a fun auctioneer as usual and we bought some interesting items with our fossil bucks. January 16, 2008 7:00pm Meeting Our speaker for the January meeting is George Hect so bring your mystery items for identification. February 20, 2008 6:00pm Kid’s Blast and Field trips- I will be contacting a few mines to see if we can get in so 7:00pm Meeting wish me luck. March 2008 Remember our field trips to Vulcan are the third Saturday and Sunday 7:00pm Meeting of the month. For more info... www.floridafossilhunter.com Shelley Zimmerman Table of Contents Fragments ………………………….. 2 Kids FossilBlast ……………………. 2 Piece on the Peace ……………….. 2 Voting on new possibility .……….... 3 Whales descened from tiny deer-like Ancestors ………………... 4 Researcher seeks Yukon fossils with ancient meteor clues ……...…. 5 Big Vulcan Mine Find ……………... 6 Membership Application ………….. 7 Calendar ……………………………. 8 Florida Fossil Hunters News Volume 18, Number 1 - January 2008 Page 2 Fragments Piece on the Peace The Florida State Fairgrounds is located at US 301 and I checked the depth and the Peace River is still running I-4, just east of Tampa. There is a charge for parking. below 4 ft. at Zolfo Springs. The water is probably cold but since it's so low, you could probably find places to Vulcan Mine Field Trips look for fossils that don't include standing waist deep in We will be having field trips to Vulcan Mine near Brooksville chilly water.
    [Show full text]