Cetaceans - Meaning, Types and Features

The cetaceans are the marine animals most famous for their presence in ancient tales and legends.They are animals that have always aroused great interest on the part of the human being.These animals, in general, are great strangers that, little by little, are disappearing without, apparently , let's do nothing.

In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will talk about cetaceans, which are, their characteristics, where they live and other curiosities .Do you want to know more about these inhabitants of the sea depths? Keep reading!

What are cetaceans?

The order of the cetaceans is composed of two suborders, the myxicets, formed by the bearded whales, and that of the odontocetes, composed of cetaceans with teeth, such as sperm whales, dolphins and killer whales.

The evolution of the cetaceans has resulted in a similarity between these two living suborders, being the result of evolutionary convergence.The common structural characteristics between the two groups, such as body shape, position of the nostril or spiral over the head, the absence of vocal cords and the similar shape of the lungs suggests that these species have evolved from different ancestors to animals very similar to each other.

Therefore, cetacean mammals are lung animals that inhabit our seas and oceans, although certain species live in rivers.

Characteristics of cetaceans

Cetaceans are characterized by their anatomy, morphology, physiology and habitat.The main characteristics of cetaceans are:

They exhibit an exceptionally wide range of body mass that influences oxygen storage and utilization capabilities.This prevents the appearance of hypoxia or lack of oxygen in your tissues.
During diving, your heart draws blood to the brain, lungs and muscles to allow swimming and the continuous functioning of the body.
The trachea is shorter than in terrestrial mammals and does not communicate with the esophagus.It is linked to the spiral, where they take and expel the air.
They have large reservoirs of fat to prevent hypothermia when submerged at greater depths.
The hydrodynamic shape of your body allows faster swimming and prevents the ravages of large pressure changes.
They don't have vocal cords.Instead they have an organ called melon that u San to communicate or hunt for echolocation.
They have a very thick skin whose outermost layer, epidermis, is continually renewed at great speed.
At birth, the offspring have hair, but these disappear after a few months of life.
The number of fins depends on the species, although all have pectoral and caudal fins.
Some species have teeth, all of the same size and form.Others have beards, which you use to filter the water.

Where do cetaceans live?

The habitat of the cetaceans is the aquatic environment.Sinel, his skin would dry out and die.Some cetaceans live in circumpolar waters, for example the beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas ) or the Narwhal ( Monodon monoceros ), so they are adapted to low temperatures.Others have a more tropical distribution, such as the common calderon ( Globicephala melas ) and the tropical calderon ( Globicephala macrorhynchus ).

Some of these animals live in fresh water, they are very threatened species of cetaceans due, mainly, to the contamination of rivers, the construction of dams and the discriminated hunting The list of cetaceans living in rivers is:

Bolivian dolphin ( Inia boliviensis )
Araguaia river dolphin ( Inia araguaiaensis )
Pink dolphin ( Inia geoffrensis )
Silver dolphin ( Pontoporia blainvillei )
Baiji ( Lipotes vexillifer )
Indus Dolphin ( Minor Platanist )
Delfin del Ganges ( Gangetica Platanist )

The vast majority of cetaceans make annual migrations from their feeding areas to their breeding areas.This is the moment when these animals are most unprotected.

In the image we can see a pink dolphin:

Types of cetaceans:

The cetaceans are classified into two large groups: the mycedets and the odontecets .

1.Misticetos

Mistycetes, commonly called whales, are less numerous and are characterized, mainly, by having beards instead of teeth.They are animals of an enormous size and usually live in cold waters.Some of their species have not been seen during the sightings of cetaceans for decades.The most common species of myceicets are:

Pacific Right Whale ( Eubalaena japonica )
Greenland whale ( Balaena mysticetus )
Common whale ( Balaenoptera physalus )
Blue whale ( Balaenoptera musculus )
Humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae )
Gray whale ( Eschrichtius robustus )
Pygmy right whale ( Caperea marginata )

In the picture we can see a common whale:

2.Odontocetos

Odontocetes are cetaceans with true teeth, in greater or lesser number.They are very numerous and include a good variety of species.They are all carnivorous animals .The best known species of odontocetes They are:

Calderon common ( Globicephala melas )
Southern dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus australis )
Common killer whale ( Orcinus orca )
Delfin listed ( Stenella coeruleoalba )
Bottlenose or bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus )
Atlantic dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus acutus )
Dark dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus obscurus )
Common porpoise ( Phocoena phocoena )
Vaquita marina ( Phocoena sinus )
Eyeglass porpoise ( Dioptric Phocoena )
Sperm whale ( Physeter macrocephalus )
Pygmy sperm whale ( Kogia breviceps )
Dwarf sperm whale ( Kogia sima )
Zinio de Blainville ( Mesoplodon densirostris )
Zifio of Gervais ( Mesoplodon europaeus )
Zifio de Gray ( Mesoplodon grayi )

In the image we can observe a common calderon:

If you want to read more articles similar to Cetaceans-Meaning, Types and Features , we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.

Bibliography

Geisler, JH,&amp ; Sanders, AE (2003).Morphological evidence for the phylogeny of Cetacea.Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 10 (1-2), 23-129.
Noren, SR,&Williams, TM (2000 ).Body size and skeletal muscle myoglobin of cetaceans: adaptations for maximizing dive duration.Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular&Integrative Physiology, 126 (2), 181-191.
Yablokov, AV (1965 ) Convergence or parallelism in the evolution of cetaceans.International Geology Review, 7 (8), 1461-1 468.

Comments

How to know what size a mongrel dog will be?

When we talk about a mixed breed dog or mixed breed dog , generally we refer to a dog whose ancestry is unknown and that has typical characteristics of two or more breeds.This is usually the result of a non-selective breeding, but generally fortunate, since a mongrel dog can be exactly as good companion as a dog of a certain breed. Due to numerous factors, although here it is worth highlighting the great genetic variability, there are many advantages of having a mongrel dog and it is important to emphasize this point since unfortunately it is usually grant a lower value to a dog of these characteristics.If you are thinking of adopting a mixed breed dog, you are surely gathering all the necessary information, if you are wondering how to know what size a mongrel dog will be I didn't leave It is to read this article of Animals and Pets Online. Is it possible to know the size of a mongrel dog? Of course, estimating the exact size of a mongrel dog is not an easy task, although ...

How to approach an unknown dog?

Normally when we see a dog we want to approach to touch it, hug it or play with it However, each dog has a different personality, so while some are very confident and sociable others are more reserved and do not like contact with people they do not know. If we pounce on any hairy Without knowing what your reaction will be it can cause him to become nervous, run away or become aggressive.That is why at ExpertAnimal we want to teach you the basic guidelines so that you know how to approach an unknown dog without overwhelming or taking risks. Corporal lenguage Before approaching an unknown dog it is very important that we know how to interpret canine body language.Dogs are very expressive animals and according to their attitude we can know if it is convenient or not to approach ael. If you must approach: He has a relaxed and calm posture. The tail remains relaxed, never between the legs or up. Sniff your surroundings calmly. Avoid our eyes and behave correctly. If ...

How to know if my rabbit is male or female?

Rabbits are adorable and very intelligent animals , which is why they are increasingly popular as companion animals.Likewise, their tender appearance and small size make them good companions for apartments. When you recently adopt a rabbit, or when a litter of rabbits has been born, you may not know the sex of each one, so we will help you discover it.If you want to discover how to know if your rabbit is male or female , keep reading this article from Animal Expert. When can you see the sex of your rabbit? It is important to note that in newborn rabbits knowing sex is almost impossible , especially if you have no experience in it.However, if you have a partner or a litter it is very important to know if they are female or male, whether you want to give them up for adoption or to avoid an unwanted pregnancy, as rabbits reproduce quickly and at an early age. From the eighth week will be a good time to examine your rabbits for indicators of their sex.Rabbits are extremely ner...

What to do if my dog is afraid of rockets?

Remove the dog's fear of rockets It will not always be possible.When we talk about traumas or fears, carrying out a systematic desensitization process with a professional can be very effective, but when we talk about phobias, the process can be lengthened much more and can even be Impossible to treat.However, if there are any tips to reassure you that you can use. These are very useful and simple tricks to carry out, especially if we have not had time to go to the veterinarian or educator canine.Next in ExpertAnimal we explain what to do if your dog is afraid of rockets : Why are dogs afraid of pyrotechnics? It's totally normal for a dog to be scared of loud noises.The survival instinct makes them try to run away or hide to save their lives.In the most serious cases we can also observe Excessive salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, nervousness, tremors and anomalous behaviors. There are three main causes that can make the dog afraid of rockets, firecrackers and firewor...

How to scare off rats? - 10 NON-DANIN REMEDIES

Chase away rats not always easy , especially if we do not know the behavior of the species, because we talk about rodents that reproduce with extreme ease.Rats can also become unwanted visitors because, like other animals, they are capable of transmitting diseases to humans and vice versa. In homes and apartments around the world, rats find shelter and food , using minimal space and trying to go unnoticed as much as possible, so if you're wanting to know how to scare off rats , in this article of Animals and Pets Online you will discover very effective non-harmful remedies to move them away from your home and prevent them from reappearing.Keep reading! Characteristics of the rats The rats are rodents belonging to the family Muridae .They measure about 30 centimeters, they have an elongated body and pointed snout.They show a tail long and thin, as well as a short coat of dark brown, light brown or black.Also discover in Animals and Pets Online how to differentiate a ra...

How many hours does a cat sleep a day?

If you envy your cat for the amount of hours spent sleeping Don't worry every day, you're not elunico! Whether on his little bed, in a chair, in the sun, on the computer and in the strangest and most surprising places, sometimes even of uncomfortable appearance, the cat is an expert when selecting the ideal place to take a nap , and invest in it a lot of your time. Although it seems incredible, the cat's organism needs all that rest to be healthy.Are you curious to know how much time you spent? cat in the arms of Morpheus? Then do not miss this article of Animals and Pets Online, where we explain how many hours a cat sleeps a day . Born to sleep? Having a litter of newborn kittens at home will quickly see that they spend a lot of time sleeping, which in principle can raise doubts in first-time human "parents".However, if kittens wake up to eat and be washed by their mother, so you have nothing to worry about. During the first days of life, and until w...

What to do if my dog does not want to walk on a leash?

The walk is an indispensable routine for the dog, since It depends on her that she can socialize, sniff, make her needs and, in short, enjoy the well-being that corresponds to her.However, sometimes, it may happen that our dog does not let go of the leash that stands in the middle of the road and does not want to move forward . In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will show you how you should act to positively associate the strap, harness or collar, as well as some tricks to encourage your dog when walking on the street. Don't you know what to do when your dog doesn't want to walk on a leash? Then we solve all your doubts, take note: Why doesn't my dog let on the leash? There are different situations that can cause a dog not to put on the leash.It may happen that we are facing a puppy that has never walked before or before an adult dog that is afraid or shows aggressiveness , perhaps due to a bad experience in the past. Except in severe cases of ...

How many dogs can I have at home?

In some countries, the number of companion animals that a person can house at home is regulated by law, but not in others, although in all countries the possession of dogs is allowed without the need to carry out procedures To ensure adequate levels of hygiene and well-being, when a certain number is exceeded, many owners must know how many dogs can be had without a zoological core to begin proper legal procedures. Next we will show you the cases of Spain and Argentina, but you can know the rules of your city or town by contacting your city council : Spain In Spain , we do not find a generic law that determines how many dogs we can have in a private home nationwide.The competences in this matter are in charge of each autonomous community ., we find a type of law and a different determination in each community Spanish geography. How many dogs can you have on the floor in Madrid? In Madrid, for example, it is established that the number of dogs and cats living in a The sa...

What to do if people are afraid of your pit bull?

If you have a pit bull you have probably heard that they are Dangerous dogs, which at any time can attack and things like that.It is very likely that family and friends have been the first to tell you these things.Animal Expert we are aware of this reality. If you also your pit bull It is properly socialized, you have taken the job of training it, you have perfect control over it and you think it is less dangerous than a dead fly, maybe you have even felt the temptation to laugh at all those things that tell you about your dog. But have you ever thought about why they tell you that pit bull dogs are aggressive and dangerous? What to do if people are afraid of your pit bull? The keys to fix it below: What they really try to tell you Most of the time people who say that kind of thing about a pit bull (or any other dog) are actually telling you " Your pit bull scares me.Please, control it ". And there are people who are simply afraid of dogs .It's not about peopl...

12 endangered animals from Mexico

Mexico is a country located in the central area of Latin America, especially known for its historical past, its delicious food and its celebration of the day of the dead, which have given the world picturesque images about its culture.The characteristics of the territory vary, predominantly the rocky areas, the arid soil and even the volcanic beaches, in which they live great variety of animals , many of them typical of Mexican lands. This wealth of fauna, however, is being diminished by various threats that endanger the survival of Many species.Keep reading this article so you know the 12 endangered animals in Mexico . 1.Mexican Axolotl Of scientific name Ambystoma mexicanum , it is a creature whose curious appearance earned him the name of water monster ( axolotl ) among the Nahuatl tribe.It is possible to find it in the canals of the city of Xochimilco, but there are fewer and fewer copies that exist in freedom, so most live in aquariums throughout the world. The mo...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog