Aquatic mammals - Characteristics and examples

All living beings on the planet have their origin in the aquatic environment .Throughout evolutionary history, mammals have been changing and adapting to conditions on the surface of the earth until, several million years ago, some submerged themselves in the oceans and rivers, adapting to life under these conditions.

In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will talk about aquatic mammals, better known as marine mammals, since it is in the seas where a greater number of species of this type They inhabit.Discover the characteristics of these animals and some examples.

Characteristics of aquatic mammals

The life of mammals in water is very different from that of terrestrial mammals.In order to survive in this environment, they have had to acquire special characteristics during their evolution.

Water is a much denser environment than air and, in addition, offers greater resistance, so aquatic mammals have an extremely aerodynamic body that allows them to cope easily.Develop fins similar to those of fish has been a significant morphological change.It allows them to increase speed, direct swimming and communicate.

Water is a medium that absorbs much more heat than air, for This, the aquatic mammals have a thick layer of fat under a hard and robust skin , which keep them isolated from these heat losses.when they live in very cold areas of the planet.Some marine mammals have hair, because certain vital functions are carried out outside the water, such as reproduction.

Those marine mammals that, in certain periods of their lives, inhabit the great depths, have developed other organs to be able to live in the darkness, like the sonar .The sense of sight in these ecosystems is not subtle, because sunlight does not reach that depth.

Like all mammals, these aquatic animals have mammary glands that produce milk for their offspring, sweat glands and gestate on their progeny inside their body.

Breathing of aquatic mammals

Aquatic mammals need air to breathe .Therefore, they take large amounts of air and keep it inside their lungs for long periods of time, when they submerge after taking air, are able to redirect blood to the brain, heart and skeletal muscle.Their muscles have a large concentration of a protein called myoglobin , capable of accumulating large amounts of oxygen.

In this way, aquatic animals are able to remain considerable periods of time without taking air.The young and newborn babies do not have this capacity developed, so they will need to take air more times than the rest of the group.

Types of aquatic mammals

Most species of aquatic mammals live in the marine environment.There are three orders of aquatic mammals: cetacea, carnivora and sirenia.

Order cetacea

Inside of the cetacea order, the most representative species are whales, dolphins, sperm whales, killer whales and porpoises .The cetaceans evolved from a species of terrestrial carnivorous ungulate more than 50 million years ago.The cetacea order Divide into three suborders (one of them extinct):

Archaeoceti : predecessor terrestrial quadruped animals of the current (extinct) cetaceans.
Mysticeti : they are whales with beards.They are carnivorous animals without teeth that take large puffs of water, then filter it through their beards and with the tongue collect the trapped fish.
Odontoceti : Dolphins, killer whales, porpoises and zifios are included here.It is a very diverse group, although its main characteristic l is that they have teeth.In this group we can find the pink dolphin ( Inia geoffrensis ), a kind of mammal aquatic river.

Carnival order

In the carnival order, we include seals, sea lions and walruses , although they could also include to the sea otter and polar bears.This group of animals appeared about 15 million years ago and are believed to be closely related to mustelids and asses (bears).

Order sirenia

Elultimo order, sirenia, includes dugongs and manatees .These animals have evolved from the tetiteriums, animals very similar to the elephants that appeared about 66 million years ago.The dugongs inhabit Australia and, manatees, in Africa and America.

List of examples of aquatic mammals and their names

Cetacea order

Mysticeti:

Greenland Whale ( Balaena mysticetus )
Whale Southern right ( Eubalaena australis )
Glacial free whale ( Eubalaena glacialis )
Pacific free whale ( Eubalaena japonica )
Common Rorcual ( Balaenoptera physalus )
Rorcual sei or borealis (Balaenoptera borealis)
Rorcual de Bryde (Balaenoptera brydei)
Tropical whale (Balaenoptera edeni)
Great blue whale or blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Aliblanco, dwarf or common minke ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
Rorcual austral or Antarctic minke (Balaenoptera bonaerensis)
Rorcual of Omura (Balaenoptera omurai)
Yubarta or humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae )
Gray whale ( Eschrichtius robustus )
Pygmy whale ( Caperea marginata )

Odontoceti:

Tonina overa ( Cephalorhynchus commersonii )
Heaviside dolphin ( Cephalorhynchus heavisidii )
Coastal common dolphin ( Delphinus capensis )
Pygmy killer whale ( Feresa attenuata )
Calderon common ( Globicephala melas )
Risso's dolphin ( Grampus griseus )
Fraser dolphin ( Lagenodelphis hosei )
Atlantic dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus acutus )
Northern dolphin without fin ( Lissodelphis borealis )
Common killer whale ( Orcinus orca )
Hong Kong pink dolphin ( Sousa chinensis )
Delfin listed ( Stenella coeruleoalba )
Bottlenose or bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus )
Boto, Amazon dolphin, pink dolphin ( Inia geoffrensis )
Baiji, Chinese river dolphin ( Lipotes vexillifer )
Silver Dolphin ( Pontoporia blainvillei )
Beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas )
Narval ( Monodon monoceros )

Carnival order

Seal Mediterranean monk ( Monachus monachus )
Northern sea elephant ( Mirounga angustirostris )
Leopard seal ( Hydrurga leptonyx )
Common or harbor seal ( Phoca vitulina )
Australian and South African sea lion ( Arctocephalus pusillus )
Guadeloupe sea bear ( Arctophoca philippii townsendi )
Steller's sea lion ( Eumetopias jubatus )
California sea lion ( Zalophus californianus )
Sea otter ( Enhydra lutris )
Polar bear ( Ursus maritimus )

Sirenia order

Dugongo ( Dugong dugon )
Caribbean Manati ( Trichechus manatus )
Amazonian Manati ( Trichechus inunguis )
African Manati ( Trichechus senegalensis )

If you want to read more articles similar to Aquatic mammals-Features and examples , we recommend that you enter our Curiosity section It's from the animal world.

References

https://basicbiology.net/animal/mammals/marine

Bibliography

Irving, L.1973.Comparative Physiology of Thermoregulation.ACADEMIC PRESS, INC.2: 47-96.

Kramer, DL1988.The behavioral ecology of air breathing by aquatic animals.Canadian Journal of Zoology, 66 (1 ): 89-94.

Comments

12 animals of Patagonia that you should know

Animals of Chilean and Argentine Patagonia Generally, Patagonia is usually "divided" into two large areas or regions: the coastal or coastal zone , which is cleared by the Atlantic Ocean on the Argentine side and the Ocean Pacific, in Chile, and the continental or Andean-Patagonian region that includes the most central regions, with predominantly desert climates, up to the Andes Mountains, with a great predominance of humid and glacial forests. In addition to the differences in the landscape, it is also possible to note that biodiversity is usually different in these regions.In the coastal region, we observe a clear predominance of fish, birds and aquatic mammals, while in the area continental land mammals and species adapted to freshwater bodies, mainly lakes and lagoons stand out. As in both regions, we find several locations with similar microclimates and environmental conditions in both Chilean Patagonia and the argenti na, it is possible to find many species tha...

15 pollinating animals - Characteristics and examples

What is pollination? Reproduction of most plant species occurs sexually, that is, it requires the union of female and male cells for fertilization .Cells are found in pollen (male), so it needs to be transferred to the flower pistil (female), where fertilization occurs and, after this process, the flower becomes a fruit with seeds. So, when we talk about the reproduction of plants, the intervention of a third party is often required, which is known as " pollinator " to do it possible. These pollinating agents can be insects, other animals and even natural elements such as water and wind.In the case of animal species, they have found a balance with the flora and evolved together, so that plants have been able to produce flowers of different aromas, shapes and colors in order to attract pollinating agents to feed on the nectar. When animals feed on the nectar, transport pollen involuntarily on their legs, wings or another part of the body.When covered with polle...

How to care for a cat with a broken hip

My kitten, we do not know if she suffered a blow or fell hit, the report is that she ran her back a bit, she has no owner recognizes me because I give her to decommission at specific times, she does not attack but she defends herself it is not allowed to touch it has been almost impossible to grab it to place it in the transporter covering its head, now it is in my house to build a shelter it hides under a sofa and makes its needs but I do not see it eat I think it takes water this happened on 22/1 and today is 1/28/2019, they have dared me but I have no experience with animals that are not domesticated and that do not let themselves be touched, it is very intelligent, it hides recognizes the place and I do not know if I should leave it there, I put the sanitary stones and she goes and does her needs and retires down from the sofa I have her fenced, and for now when she is seen I see her well, she does not take the medication for pain and to solidify her bones, but neither does she com...

Animals with exoskeleton - Names and examples

The body of the largest vertebrate animals is not a mystery to most of people: it is known that it has a skeleton, internal vital organs (heart, brain, etc.), a dermis of variable and organ characteristics through which the five senses are manifested, among other characteristics. However, have you wondered what the invertebrate morphology is like? Then you need to know all about the animals with exoskeleton, names and examples. Don't miss this Animals and Pets Online article! What is the exoskeleton? The exoskeleton is an external structure that covers the body of various animals, including arthropods.It is characterized by being resistant but flexible .This structure It consists of different substances depending on the subfile to which the animal belongs: chitin for insects and fungi, calcium in mollusks and corals or silica in diatoms among other components. In turn, the exoskeleton is formed by three structures : Cuticle : non-cellular layer secreted by the hyp...

Clean a dog's ears step by step

Cleaning the ears of the dog is a behavior that we should carry out regular, whether it is a puppy or an adult dog.It is very important to apply frequent hygiene of the ears to avoid the appearance of fungi. Next we will explain what products you need to carry it out and how It must be the method for everything to go perfectly. Keep reading this complete article by Animals and Pets Online and discover how to clean the ears of a dog step by step : Steps to follow: 1 The first step will be to gather all the materials that we may need to clean the dog's ears properly: sterile gauze swabs physiological serum Instead of physiological serum you can also choose to use hydrogen peroxide or specific preparations that we will find in any pet store.What is recommended is Apply sterile gauze as the cotton can fray inside the ear of the dog and rot.Finally, and for a much more thorough cleaning we may need swabs, yes, baby.Much safer. 2 It is important to keep in mind ...

How to scare stray cats? - 15 non-harmful remedies

The presence of stray cats In the home it is not always welcome, especially if they defecate, dig and break the decorative plants or the garden.In fact, it can be considered a risk situation if they are also wild cats, since they are not properly socialized and can be carriers of parasites and viral diseases, factors that can worry parents and animal owners. Therefore, although we consider ourselves animalistic, we can face a serious dilemma when we want to scare off street cats that appear in our garden or terrace.Is there a really effective repellent for cats? How to drive away cats without harming them? Is it possible to apply any method to drive away effective and lasting stray cats? Or worse: it may not even be street cats, but domestic cats that take advantage of your garden to do their needs.What should we do then? In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain How to drive away stray cats with basic and effective advice, we will propose some home remedie...

Common diseases of beagle dogs

The most common diseases in beagle dogs are mainly those that affect to the eyes, the skin and the ears .However, they are not the only ones, and it is that this canine breed, like most, is prone to suffer from hereditary or genetic pathologies.The beagle is a canine breed native to the Kingdom United, characterized by dogs of medium height, with a compact and muscular body, and short fur.From their origins, they have been used in hunting tasks.They love physical activity, so they are great runners, and they love digging holes on earth. In general, this breed is quite healthy, so it is not easy for them to become infected with viruses or develop a health problem, but there are certain ailments to which they are prone.Keep reading this Animals and Pets Online article so you can find out what the common diseases are it's in beagle dogs. Eye diseases in beagle dogs Eye diseases are the most common in Beagle dogs, so if you have one at home you should perform an eye check per...

ALL ABOUT THE FEVER IN DOGS

The fever in dogs or fever Canine is an increase in body temperature above normal values, which are between 38 and 39ºC , due, for example, to an infection or inflammation.There are different causes that cause the fever and we can easily measure it with the use of a digital thermometer. Next, in this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain everything you need to know about fever in dogs, causes, symptoms and treatment to be applied to lower it.That is, if you suspect that your dog may suffer from fever, we recommend you go to your trusted veterinarian to discover the cause that is causing it and the treatment indicated according to your specific case. What temperature is considered fever in dogs? Fever is an excellent defense mechanism of the body .By increasing body temperature, the immune system seeks to destroy the pathogen.Therefore, it is a immune system reaction very beneficial for the dog in the face of an illness. The normal temperature of a dog Th...

Indigestion in dogs - Symptoms and home remedies

Indigestion or empacho is characterized as a general indisposition caused by excessive consumption of food or some digestive difficulty.Not only we, human beings, can be affected by these episodes, but the empacho in dogs is more common than we tend to imagine. Although we are accustomed to thinking of empacho as something normal or as a "minor problem", episodes of indigestion in dogs should not be ignored, since they can cause digestive problems, such as the accumulation of gases in the gastrointestinal tract , which affect the animal's well-being.Besides, the habit of eating too much or swallowing the food at once without chewing it, is an alarming risk factor for gastric torsion, one of the deadliest diseases in dogs. In Animals and Pets Online always We strive to provide you with content that helps you take better care of your most faithful companion, so we have prepared a special article on dog sitting, its symptoms, causes and risk factors .At the end of ...

Can I bathe my dog if I just wormed him?

When is it a first time in adopting a dog, it is normal that many doubts arise about what is best for them and when it is advisable to do everything, so Animals and Pets Online solves all the questions that arise. Deworming your dog periodically is necessary to preserve their health and avoid possible diseases from the action of microorganisms, external and internal parasites, among others.If you do not know when you should bathe your dog after a deworming , keep reading this article. Why deworm the dog? You may think that deworming is not necessary, but the truth is that thanks to it you avoid your dog much discomfort, in addition to prevent diseases transmitted by parasites . Among the main parasites, both external and internal, are ticks, fleas, lice, losacaros and intestinal worms, among many others.Pruritus, hair loss, diarrhea, tick disease, and even death in the most serious cases, they are part of the consequences that cause these beings to stay in the body of your furr...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog