Research2 sources
Prehistoric whale reveals extreme skull asymmetry
Phys.org ·
The Brief · written from 2 sources
- A prehistoric toothed whale skull shows extreme asymmetry, according to a report on phys.org.
- Toothed whales, unlike most vertebrates, have asymmetrical skulls that house specialized organs for echolocation and sound production.
- Nautilus reports a new species identified from a roughly 9.5-million-year-old beaked whale carcass.
Why it matters
The fossil adds evidence on how toothed whale skulls evolved their asymmetry, a key feature tied to echolocation and sound production.
Who’s affected
- palaeontologists and evolutionary biologists
- marine mammal researchers
- #fossil whale
- #skull asymmetry
- #beaked whale
- #new species
- #echolocation
- #palaeontology
Sperm whales and pygmy sperm whales are known among mammals for their unusually shaped heads. Unlike most vertebrates, which are bilaterally symmetrical, toothed whales have asymmetrical skulls that accommodate highly specialized organs used for echolocation and sound production.
Timeline
Biology News reports prehistoric whale with extreme skull asymmetry
Nautilus reports a new species from a 9.5-million-year-old whale carcass
Nautilus
A New Species Emerges From a 9.5 Million-Year-Old Whale Carcass
Biology News - Evolution, Cell theory, Gene theory, Microbiology, Biotechnology
Prehistoric whale reveals extreme skull asymmetry