Sperm whale family
hidePhyseteroidea Kogiidae
The sperm whale family, or sperm whales, is a common name for the family Physeteridae or superfamily Physeteroidea. The three existing species of whale are the Sperm Whale, in the genus Physeter, and the Pygmy Sperm Whale and Dwarf Sperm Whale, in the genus Kogia. In the past these genera have sometimes been united in the single family, Physeteridae, with the two Kogia species in a subfamily (Kogiinae), however recent practice is to allocate the genus Kogia to its own family, Kogiidae, leaving Physeteridae as a monotypic (single extant species) family, although additional fossil representatives of both families are known (see "Evolution"). The name Sperm Whale comes from sailors of whaling boats who thought that the spermaceti on the whales head was actual sperm from the reproductive system.
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News tagged with sperm whales
Molecular Decay of Enamel-Specific Gene in Toothless Mammals Supports Theory of Evolution
Sep 04, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Biologists at the University of California, Riverside report new evidence for evolutionary change recorded in both the fossil record and the genomes (or genetic blueprints) of living organisms, ...
Analysing effects of underwater noise on sperm whales
May 07, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists are investigating whether or not noise generated by the oil and gas industry might affect the day-to-day behaviour of sperm whales.
Nine rescued whales beach again in Australia
Mar 25, 2009 |
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All but one of the 10 whales that survived a mass beaching on Australia's west coast were Wednesday believed to have come back ashore and were unlikely to survive, authorities said.
Sperm Whales in Gulf Seemingly Unaffected by Distant Seismic Sounds
Aug 21, 2008 |
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A six-year study on sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico – designed to learn more about their abundance, migration patterns and behavior – suggests that long-range seismic sounds associated with oil and gas exploration and ...
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Sperm whales return to Mediterranean
Biology /
Feb 14, 2007 |
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Marine biologists in Italy say the sperm whale, once thought to have been nearly wiped from the region by drift nets, has returned to the Mediterranean.
Drifting off to sleep
Biology /
Feb 20, 2008 |
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Researchers studying the resting behaviour of wild sperm whales have found evidence that whales literally 'drift' off to sleep.
Study Positively Identifies Giant Squid Presence in Gulf of Mexico
Sep 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- During a recent research cruise, a rare giant squid was captured in the Gulf of Mexico.
Nice going, mom! Right whales break birth record
May 09, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Right whales have plenty to celebrate this Mother's Day - the sea moms gave birth to a record 39 calves this spring.
Whales are polite conversationalists
Oct 26, 2009 |
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What do a West African drummer and a sperm whale have in common? According to some reports, they can both spot rhythms in the chatter of an ocean crowded with the calls of marine mammals -- a feat impossible for the untrained ...
Briefs: No conclusion in whale stranding study
Mar 30, 2006 |
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The National Marine Fisheries Service says it cannot determine if Navy sonar caused 36 whales to become stranded on the North Carolina shore last year.
Australia: Japan whale research 'bizarre'
Biology /
Mar 08, 2008 |
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Australian scientists say that Japanese research on whales, the justification for its whaling program, has produced few results and is often "strange."
Blue whales found near NY, off their usual path
May 28, 2009 |
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(AP) -- There's a monster lurking off the coast of New York. Experts in a Cornell University acoustics program said Thursday that blue whales have been positively identified in the area for the first time.
Thieving whale caught on video gives rare clues about hunting strategy, sound production
May 21, 2009 |
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For decades scientists have been intrigued by the variety of sounds emitted by sperm whales, partly due to a popular theory that suggests that the sounds might contain information about the animals' size. ...
Israeli sperm bank posts diminishing returns
May 11, 2009 |
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Wall Street giants are not the only banks hit by diminishing assets. New research for an Israeli sperm bank shows that depositors are 40 per cent less fertile than a decade ago, the Haaretz daily reported.
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