Tag Archive for 'Porpoise'

Cryopterygius kristiansenae, a species of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur from the Jurassic of Svalbard. Image credit: Esther van Hulsen.

Ichthyosaurs Had Surprisingly Dense Ribs, New Study Finds

Sep 11, 2026 by Enrico de Lazaro

Long before whales ruled the oceans, dolphin-shaped marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs patrolled the same waters. New research from the Natural History...

Illustration of the body plan of a toothed whale, with a cross section of the head showing the melon (dark yellow) and the extramandibular fat bodies (light yellow) which are key organs for using sound such as echolocation. Image credit: Takeuchi et al., doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148167.

Echolocation Organs of Toothed Whales Evolved from Jaw Muscles, New Research Suggests

Apr 8, 2024 by Natali Anderson

Toothed whales have developed specialized echolocation abilities that are crucial for their underwater activities. Acoustic fat bodies — the melon...

The East Asian finless porpoise (Neophocaena sunameri) photographed in Penglai Polar Ocean World, Penglai, Shandong, China. Image credit: Yin et al., doi: 10.1038/s41597-022-01868-4.

Researchers Sequence Genome of East Asian Finless Porpoise

Jan 16, 2023 by News Staff

The team’s goal was to assemble a gapless genome for the East Asian finless porpoise (Neophocaena sunameri) to aid in the conservation of this endangered...

A graphical rendition of a diving sperm whale using its echolocation. Image credit: Chris Johnson.

Study: Toothed Whales Use Sonic Equivalent of Flashlight to Echolocate Prey

Nov 16, 2018 by News Staff

Toothed whales — apex predators varying in size from 40-kg porpoises to 50-ton sperm whales — use narrow beams of high intensity sound to echolocate...

Semirostrum ceruttii: Scientists Discover Extinct Porpoise with Unique Underbite

Mar 14, 2014 by News Staff

Paleontologists led by Dr Rachel Racicot of Yale University have described a new species of extinct porpoise that lived off the coast of what is now California...