December 2008

  • Beaked Whales: First Marine Mammal to Use Secondary Sexual Selection in Mating

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    Submitted by hellenwyeth on 12/15/08 9:43am
    The rarely seen beaked whales have scientists talking. Mostly found only as carcasses washed ashore leading to their discovery in the first place, researchers have been doing some testing pertaining to their teeth and the connection with breeding. Scientists presume that their teeth have evolved as secondary traits to help females select males of the right species. These whales are identical and the only difference in gender is teeth or tusks.
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  • Mass Krill Harvesting Could Lead to Starvation

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    Submitted by hellenwyeth on 12/12/08 5:36am
    With the popular uprising of herbal supplements and treatments environmentalists are starting to show concern for mass krill harvesting. They worry that fishing krill in this manner in small areas may starve land based animals that can not travel far as well as the possibility of a food shortage for whales. Animals that depend on krill for nutrition in addition to our large whale friends are fish, seals and penguins. Taking away their source of food not only could lead to starvation but extinction in these small areas that are being harvested.
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  • Orca's Lunch Gets Away

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    Submitted by beatriz on 12/10/08 7:17am

    This is one persistent orca, and one clever penguin.

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  • 150 Whales Die In Mass Stranding

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    Submitted by diosmio on 12/1/08 7:54am

    Sad news today, 150 pilot whales died after being stranded off Tasmania's west coast.  The numbers nearly doubled from what it was believed to be yesterday.

    The whales were discovered Saturday, on a rocky area of coastline of Sandy Cape.  Members of the local community and about six Department of Primary Industry and Water members worked in vain to try to save the stranded animals, that had been badly injured by the rocks.

    Warwick Brennan, a department spokesman said that the whales' chances of survival were much less in that sort of environment than if the had come ashore in a sandy area. Read more

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