Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Rare-Spade Toothed Beaked Whale

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121105130353.htm

A whale almost completely unknown to science was seen for the first time when two individuals (a mother and calf) stranded themselves on a beach in New Zealand two years ago. Today a complete report has been published, including a full description of the species that until now was only known from a few bones. According to the researchers, this discovery gives us some idea of how little we know of what's lurking in the depths of our oceans. The two were originally identified as much more common Gray's beaked whales. Their true identity as the rare spade-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon traversii) was only revealed after DNA analysis.

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