Dolphin
hideDolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. They vary in size from 1.2 m (4 ft) and 40 kg (90 lb) (Maui's Dolphin), up to 9.5 m (30 ft) and 10 tonnes (9.8 LT; 11 ST) (the Orca or Killer Whale). They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid. The family Delphinidae is the largest in the Cetacea, and relatively recent: dolphins evolved about ten million years ago, during the Miocene. Dolphins are considered to be amongst the most intelligent of animals and their often friendly appearance and seemingly playful attitude have made them popular in human culture.
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News tagged with dolphins
Elephant seals take naps while diving
Nov 13, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study may have solved the long-standing question of how elephants sleep during their long migrations at sea, when they can be away from land for up to eight months.
Getting a leg up on whale and dolphin evolution
Sep 24, 2009 |
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When the ancestors of living cetaceans—whales, dolphins and porpoises—first dipped their toes into water, a series of evolutionary changes were sparked that ultimately nestled these swimming mammals into the ...
Ancient toothed whale remains found near Santa Cruz
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Aug 13, 2009 |
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A 1,000-pound slab of sandstone lifted off a beach in Santa Cruz County, Calif., Wednesday may provide a better glimpse of what plied the seas 5 million years ago.
Some NFL teams clamp down on tweets
Aug 06, 2009 |
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(AP) -- The only tweets during the Miami Dolphins scrimmage Saturday will come from the officials' whistles.
Human language and dolphin movement patterns show similarities in brevity
Jul 30, 2009 |
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Two researchers from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom have shown for the first time that the law of brevity in human language, according to ...
Triangles Go Underwater and Supersonic
Jun 30, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The seemingly effortless way dolphins and porpoises slice through the water and the unique capabilities of the supersonic Concorde airplane have more in common than one might think.
Same-sex behavior seen in nearly all animals
Jun 16, 2009 |
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Same-sex behavior is a nearly universal phenomenon in the animal kingdom, common across species, from worms to frogs to birds, concludes a new review of existing research.
Whales and dolphins in hot water
Jun 01, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- More whales, dolphins and porpoises than was previously thought could be at risk from the effects of climate change, according to a new study.
Porpoise is 2nd to give birth in captivity
May 08, 2009 |
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A porpoise at Harderwijk dolphin centre in the Netherlands has become only the second to give birth in captivity, the centre announced, but the happy event leaves an enigma: is it a boy or a girl?
Dolphins maintain round-the-clock visual vigilance
May 01, 2009 |
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Dolphins have a clever trick for overcoming sleep deprivation. Sam Ridgway from the US Navy Marine Mammal Program explains that they are able to send half of their brains to sleep while the other half remains ...
'Dolphin pads' help prevent bedsores
Apr 03, 2009 |
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They say dolphins are smart, and now people are borrowing a technology that was first used on the mammals.
'Gray's Paradox' solved: Researchers discover secret of speedy dolphins
Nov 24, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- There was something peculiar about dolphins that stumped prolific British zoologist Sir James Gray in 1936. He had observed the sea mammals swimming at a swift rate of more than 20 miles per ...
Scientists uncover new dolphin species in Australian waters
Biology /
Nov 21, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Marine mammal experts have uncovered a new species of dolphin in Australian waters, challenging existing knowledge about bottlenose dolphin classifications and highlighting the country's marine biodiversity.
Study sheds new light on dolphin coordination during predation
Biology /
Oct 21, 2008 |
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Spinner dolphins have long been known for their teamwork in capturing prey but a new study using high-tech acoustics has found that their synchronization is even more complex than scientists realized and likely evolved as ...
