We’re being specific

1. We’re being specific Mammals have ? __________________ An “Aquatic mammal” then is one that lives most of it’s life in water, not just every now and then. So by this definition a Beaver is not an aquatic mammal really, he spends a lot of time on land and in his home.

2. Aquatic Mammals

3. Yes …. Mammal… like YOU All these animals are like humans… • Have mammary glands – feed young via milk from the mother • Reproduce sexually – no other way • Have lungs and breathe air • Have hair like us (but some lose it quickly) • Have all the major organ systems you have plus often a sonar and magnetic sensing ability.

4. We’ll talk about these groups Cetacians (whales) Odontoceti (Toothed whales) Mysticetis (Baleen whales) Sirenia (Manitees) Pinnipeds (seals, walruses, etc)

5. Aquatic mammals “re-entered” the water – they are descended from land mammals.

6. The Pinnipeds (seals, etc) are related to the bears

7. CNIDERIANS • Animal Kingdom and their main phyla and classes: Corals/Anemones Comb Jelly Hydrozoa/ Colonies True Jelly Box Jelly VERTEBRATES ECHINODERMS ARTHROPODS Sea star Fish Brittle star Mammals MOLLUSKS Urchins Cucumbers Bird Insects Crustaceans Arachnids Cephalopods Primates Cetaceans Bivalves Gastropods Sirenia Pinnepeds

8. 4 facts to know about all cetacians • They are air breathers • adaptations help them to be streamlined: • No external ears, • Reproductive organs hidden • Born with hair, but lose it soon (hair drags) • Whales have “sonar” – using sound to sense the environment • Whales hear REALLY WELL – their ear bone is attached to their JAW!!!

9. Two pet peeves to clear up 1 - Finding Nemo lied! – they are taken in his mouth and spewed out his “nose” (blow hole) • This is possible in humans, but not whales. • cetaceans cannot breathe through their mouth! – they have no Pharynx! 2) “Whale” sharks are not whales, they are a fish Whales are not fish

10. Whale respiration • WHALES BREATHE AIR!!! Adaptations that help them live in water • Lungs can collapse to squeeze all air into blood • Blood has tons more oxygen carrying hemoglobin than land mammals • They can exhale and inhale in less than a second (their breath comes out at nearly 100 mph)

11. There are two groups of whales (cetaceans) Toothed whales (odonticetie) Baleen Whales – (mysticeti)

12. The largest animal ever known to exist is one of the mysticeti!!!! • Some think the dinosaurs were big…. True, • But the largest animal ever in existence lives today! • The blue whale! • http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/blue-whale-interactive#/compare/length

14. The “Baleen” whales(Mysticetis) • Baleen whales have… baleen! • Baleen is teeth built to filter things out of water. • Huge amounts of water is swallowed and then pushed out through the baleen, and all the critters are caught by the baleen!

15. Some Baleen whales • Grey whale • Humpback • Blue • Right

16. Feeding with baleen

17. The Baleen whales have a two holed blow holes – like you!

18. Whales do NOT spout water from inside • Whales normally live where it is cold.. So you “see” his breath • Any water on top of the hole gets blown up • BUT NO WATER COMES OUT OF THE HOLE!!

19. A big whale’s size means the water is not as “thick” to him… To the fly – the air seems thick, to us it seems very thin. To a water bug water is like syrup, to us it doesn’t feel that thick To huge massive whales, the water is much easier to move through. POINT? Whales can travel at 30-40 miles an hour without seeming to even try!

20. Why do baleen whales sing? • Mainly reproduction ! • Whales go deep down – head down nearly vertical and sing their hearts out! To attract a mate • Is a certain type of song more successful?

21. How far does the sound travel in water?Why? • Whales are very loud! Some say the loudest animal on the planet. • Sound travels better through water than air, so whales are heard by other whales across the ocean! • There is a specific depth/density that works best and the whales know it! – if they want to talk long distance, they go to a specific depth – The deep sound channel • Human “sound pollution” from ships interferes. • Most of their communication is at a frequency too low for us to hear (they are extreme bases!)

22. The deep sound channel • Deep sound channel is where sound travels slowest. • Sound waves curve toward the slow area • Sounds get trapped there and travel long distances

23. Why low frequency? All things being equal, low pitch travels farther in air and water… Squeal Low hum

24. Ocean sounds & masking The ocean is filled with sound.. What do you think the most common sound is from? As human population and technology grows, we are becoming the loudest most common thing in the ocean… and we are loud (sonar, ship noise, etc.) Now, whales have to talk over us – we “mask” their talk

25. Whales like to play…

26. Fun (blue)whale facts • Males are called ‘bulls”, females, “cows” and a baby is a “calf” • The blue whale is normally 100 ft. long, and weighs 150 tons.. A typical car weights 1 ton. • A newborn blue whale calf is 25 ft. long and weighs 2 tons • The heart of a big whale is the size of a VW bug. • You could swim through the aorta artery of a big blue whale without even touching the sides. • About 100 people could fit in a blue whale’s mouth • The tongue of a whale is the size of an elephant. • A human toddler could fit down the blow hole of a blue whale • Whales, on average, live as long as the average human (about 60-70 years. • The Sperm whale has the largest brain on the planet.

27. Whaling • Whaling made much of east USA (Boston) area rich and famous. • Whales were killed for mostly their blubber to make oil • Whale oil was used in lamps, cosmetics, creams, lubrication, etc. • Whales use to be aggressive and thought to deplete fish populations • The discovery of crude oil probable saved the whale from total extinction. • Whaling is still done, though is “slightly” regulated by the IWC,. But only members of the IWC are bound by it’s rules • Whaling is heavily opposed by most people.

28. End baleen whales Summary 1- baleen whales (mysticeti) don’t have teeth, they have baleen which they use to filter a big gulp of water 2- Baleen whales are the big ones – including the big blue and the humpbacks

29. Toothed whales: Odontoceti The toothed whales include Sperm Whale: Dolphins/porpoises: Killer Whales: Narwhals Toothed whales are the ones that are famous for using “sonar” Toothed whales are likely the most intelligent non-primates.

30. Odonticeti Family is divided into Dolphins and Porpoises • Dolphins – • Round pointed teeth • Head can move • Generally longer/bigger • Porpoises • “spade” like teeth • neck vertibrae fused / neck can’t move like flippers • Generally small

31. Dolphins • Very effective pack hunters of fish. • Some dolphins live in freshwater (amazon Yellow & Ganges rivers)

32. Dolphins Extremely intelligent • Know and name each other • Solve very complex puzzles • Brain is larger than ours (in every way) Show social behaviors unmatched in other animals • Family groups, play, group hunting

33. Dolphin sonar • Front part of head is a soft “melon” organ. • Sounds (fast clicks) go out through the melon • Returning sounds picked up by lower jaw!!! • Can communicate and locate food easily • Our ship sonar is like a loud speaker to them!!!

34. Killer Whales (orcas)(typically in north pacific) • Named because they “kill other whales!” • Other than that it’s just a big dolphin! (toothed whale)

35. The Sperm Whale • Use to be heavily hunted – now protected • Dives deep to capture it’s prey (squids, etc) • Dives 1-2 miles!! • Holds breath for 90 minutes!!! • When it comes up it has to rest for a while – leaves it vulnerable! • Yes, you can think of a sperm whale as a huge dolphin

36. Sperm whales have big heads • The head is mostly soft oily material called “spermaceti” • Nobody knows what it’s for.

37. Narwhals • “Horn” is really a large extended tooth • Only males have them • Used to stun fish or pick up flat fish from the bottom

38. 2 questions from the audience? So… the blow holes are like his nose… he has to close it under water… so can he smell? Answer: NO,…. Dolphins do not smell! How do we know? - no scent sensors in nasal passages and most important, the part of the mammal brain we know is where “smell” is managed is totally missing in cetaceans.

39. 2 questions from the audience • Can you tell male and females apart • Oh yes, easily. • “parts” are hidden in folds • But the folds are visible

40. Comparative “melons” • Sonar organ size in whales • “Toothed” whales have larger sonar organs, baleen whales have smaller sonar organs

41. So far • Cetaceans • Odontoceti • Mysteceti Now on to : • Sirenia • Pinnepeds • Seals • Sea lions • Walrus

42. CNIDERIANS • Animal Kingdom and their main phyla and classes: Corals/Anemones Comb Jelly Hydrozoa/ Colonies True Jelly Box Jelly VERTEBRATES ECHINODERMS ARTHROPODS Sea star Fish Brittle star Bird Mammals MOLLUSKS Urchins Cucumbers Insects Crustaceans Arachnids Cephalopods Primates Sirenia Cetaceans Bivalves Gastropods Pinnepeds Odontoceti Mysteceti

43. We’ve known 5 species of “Sirenia” one is entirely fresh water/ one went extinct within 27 years of European knowledge 1741-1768

44. Manatee • Think: a whale and a seal had a baby • Breathes through nose only, but nose isn’t on top of head • No MELON • But do make sounds to communicate to each other

45. Manatees well known to old sailors. Origin of “mermaid”?

46. Manatees live in the Gulf of Mexico (though rarely travel to Texas)

47. IMPORTANT – herbivorous!!!(thus “sea cow”) • “sea grass” is getting rare in a lot of places • They don’t eat “algae” they eat sea grass • Reminder: cetaceans were all carnivores

48. Sea grass? What is that? Sea grass is …GRASS (not “sea weed”) A grass that can tolerate and grows with salt water. It is going away very fast! (poor sea cows) 1) boats damage the grass flats 2) increase in pollution and fertilizers make water cloudy and keep grasses from getting sunlight

49. WE kill a lot of these guys, but no one really eats them.

50. Pinnepeds • Phocidae = earless seals • Otariidae = Eared seals • Odobenidae = Walruses These two genetically connected To modern bears!