MarineMarine MammalsMammals

Introductory Oceanography Ray Rector - Instructor MainMainMain ConceptsConceptsConcepts––– MarineMarineMarine MammalsMammalsMammals 1) Marine vertebrate animals that possess lungs for breathing, mammary glands for nursing and body hair; give birth to live young; many have flippers for swimming; all are “warm-blooded.” 2) All marine mammals’ ancestors were originally land mammals that, over a long period of time, adapted to living in the ocean 3) There are about 110 species of marine mammals 4) Three taxonomic Orders of marine mammals: Order Cetacea -- toothed and baleen whales Order Carnivora - Suborder Pinnipedia = (seals, sea lions, and walruses); also the sea otters and polar bear Order Sirenia (manatees and dugongs) 5) Most marine mammals sit near the top of the food chain except for the baleen whales and the sea cows.

6) Most marine mammals face difficult environmental challenges TheTheThe MarineMarineMarine MammalsMammalsMammals

PinnipedsPinnipeds

CetaceansCetaceans

CarnivoresCarnivores SireniansSirenians OrderOrder CetaceaCetacea –– TheThe WhalesWhales I.I. SuborderSuborder OdontocetiOdontoceti –– ToothedToothed WhalesWhales 1) Sperm whales 2) Beaked whales 3) Belugas and narwhal whales 4) River Dolphins 5) Dolphins 6) Porpoises II.II. SuborderSuborder MysticetiMysticeti -- BaleenBaleen WhalesWhales 1) Right whale 2) Pygmy right whale 3) Gray whale 4) Rorqual whales

http://www.ganesha.org/misc/dolphin.html SuborderSuborder OdontocetiOdontoceti –– ToothedToothed WhalesWhales Family Physeteridae..... Sperm Whales  Family Ziphiidae..... Beaked Whales  Family Delphinidae..... Marine Dolphins  Family Platanistidae*..... Freshwater Dolphins  Family Phocoenidae..... Porpoises  Family Monodontidae..... Belugas & Narwhals

 OdontocetiOdontoceti whaleswhales havehave thethe abilityability toto echolocateecholocate DelphinidaeDelphinidae FamilyFamily ofof WhalesWhales

Dolphin

Porpoise

Killer Whale Pilot Whale OdontocetiOdontoceti WhalesWhales -- EcholocationEcholocation Sperm whales Killer Whales Pilot Whales Dolphins Dolphin Porpoises DolphinDolphin oror Porpoise?Porpoise? –– How to Tell the Difference Some Differences  Porpoises are in the family Phocoenidae  Dolphins are in the family Delphinidae Porpoises are relatively small and lack a “beak” or rostrum Dolphins generally grow larger and have a distinctive beak  Porpoises are chubby-looking  Dolphins have a generally sleek-shaped body Teeth of the porpoise are spade-shaped  Teeth of the dolphin are conical or cone-shaped  Porpoise dorsal fin is triangular-shaped  Dolphin fins are wave-shaped KillerKiller WhalesWhales Playing “Volley-Seal”

Underside Beach Hunting

Breaching Pod SuborderSuborder MysticetiMysticeti -- BaleenBaleen WhalesWhales Family Balaenopteridae..... Rorquals  Family Balaenidae..... Right Whales  Family Eschrichtiidae..... Gray Whales Family Neobalaenidae..... Pygmy Right Whales FamilyFamily BalaenopteridaeBalaenopteridae (Roquals)(Roquals) MM M Blue Whale Humpback Whale YY SS TT

II Fin Whale CC EE Bryde’s Whale TT

II Minke Whale FamilyFamily BalaenidaeBalaenidae MM YY SS Bowhead Whale Right Whale TT FamilyFamily EschrichtiidaeEschrichtiidae II

CC FamilyFamily NeobalaenidaeNeobalaenidae EE Gray Whale TT

II Pygmy Right Whale MysticetiMysticeti WhalesWhales –– LungeLunge FeedingFeeding

Baleen Plate CetaceaCetacea EvolutionEvolution CenozoicCenozoic EvolutionaryEvolutionary LineagesLineages CetaceaCetacea EvolutionEvolution FromFrom TerrestrialTerrestrial toto AquaticAquatic A. Mesonychid (58 Ma)

B. Ambulocetus (50 Ma)

C. Rodhocetus (46 Ma)

D. Basilosaurus (42 Ma) ProblemsProblems EncounteredEncountered byby MarineMarine MammalsMammals  Food Supply  Predators  Parasites  HAB’s  Pollution  Over Fishing  Accidental Netting  Boating Accidents  Noise Pollution  Malicious Acts  Beaching CommercialCommercial WhalingWhaling CommercialCommercial WhalingWhaling SuborderSuborder PinnipediaPinnipedia ––

1) Seals 2) Sea Lions 3) Elephant Seals 4) Leopard Seals 5) Walruses

VarietyVariety

EvolutionEvolution PinnipedsPinnipeds -- AnatomicAnatomic VariationsVariations

SealsSeals versusversus SeaSea LionsLions OrderOrderOrder SireniaSireniaSirenia OrderOrderOrder Carnivora: Carnivora:Carnivora: TheThe SeaSea OttersOtters SuborderSuborderSuborder CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia PolarPolarPolar BearsBearsBears SummarySummarySummary––– MarineMarineMarine MammalsMammalsMammals 1) Marine vertebrate animals that possess lungs for breathing, mammary glands for nursing and body hair; give birth to live young; many have flippers for swimming; all are “warm-blooded.” 2) All marine mammals’ ancestors were originally land mammals that, over a long period of time, adapted to living in the ocean 3) There are about 110 species of marine mammals 4) Three taxonomic Orders of marine mammals: Order Cetacea -- toothed and baleen whales Order Carnivora - Suborder Pinnipedia = (seals, sea lions, and walruses); also the sea otters and polar bear Order Sirenia (manatees and dugongs) 5) Most marine mammals sit near the top of the food chain except for the baleen whales and the sea cows.

6) Most marine mammals face difficult environmental challenges ConclusionConclusion