Paleontologists of the Berlin Museum of natural history have reconstructed the diet of the giant Urwals. The “meat-eating apex predators” was at the top of the food chain, and apparently had a favourite food.
Some call the Basilosaurus isis is also the “bone crusher-whale”, because he could smash with his massive jaws easily, the bones of prey animals. The up to 18-Meter-long sea monster with the snake-like body chased around 35 million years ago, preferably, other whales, and stand at the top of the food pyramid.
From a skeletal discovery in Egypt paleontologists of the natural history Museum of Berlin have reconstructed the diet of the giant Urwals from the Eocene. It was the first examination of the stomach contents of a whale of this group and the first direct evidence that the whales hunted in previous oceans of whales, writes the Team, the paleontologist, Manja Voss in the journal “PLOS ONE”.
Intact fossilized spine of a Basilosaurus-whale in the Egyptian Wadi al-Hitan
Of the whale, among other things, skulls, teeth, vertebrae and Ribs are preserved. In the body cavity of the skeleton, the researchers found various Remains, including of young animals of smaller whales that have eaten the Urwal preferred. As stomach contents identifiable as the bones were, among other things, due to bite marks. The whale-giant killed its prey, therefore, with a strong bite in the head. His body size, his long, strong snout, as well as the pointed incisors and sharp teeth indicate the animal in the eyes of the researchers as a “flesh-eating top predators” and not as scavengers, such as the Berlin Museum, new York.
Fossilized mangrove in Wadi al-Hita remember the dried-up shallow sea
The 16-Meter-long skeleton was recovered in 2010, in the Egyptian Wadi Al-Hitan, a desert area southwest of Cairo. The site, which is also called the valley of the whales, and on the Unesco world heritage list, is considered unique in the world, because there are numerous skeletons of extinct whales. In the study by Voss and colleagues suggest that the area breeding area and nursery for the prey-whale Basilosaurus isis, and thus its ideal hunting ground.
The find-spot in Egypt was once part of a shallow sea, and enabled the researchers to many conclusions about the Evolution of whales. On the basis of adequate findings, it is assumed that whales moving once to Land on legs, and residents in the course of Evolution the sea.
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What happens to beached whales?Joint Effort
In 2017, the inhabitants of the Indonesian Aceh took care of ten sperm whales that were stranded in shallow water. Volunteers managed six of the animals back to the open sea, but four of the animals died. No one knows exactly why whales get stranded, but there are a lot of theories…
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What happens to beached whales?The leader to follow
Some species of whales live in social groups have a leader, the other animals after swimming. If the leader device close to the shore, and there, the problems gets, it can send out a distress signal. The whales that follow him, could try to help him, and even beaches. It may also be that whales get stranded while chasing prey.
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What happens to beached whales?Man-made beach landings
Another theory as to why whales get stranded, is that the Overfishing of the oceans, forcing marine mammals to find food in an unknown and potentially shallow waters, where they come out then. There is also some evidence to suggest that Sonar from ships interferes with the animals on their migrations and confused.
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What happens to beached whales?Death in the deep
When whales die in the Depths of the sea, drops her body on the ground, where he is a food source for a variety of other animals and organisms. But animals that are already in the vicinity of the coast could be washed up on the beaches, as this is a whale that showed up in Rio de Janeiro. If that happens, rotting animals on the beach. This phenomenon can create other problems.
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What happens to beached whales?An explosive reaction
Although the sun seems to be worshippers, not deter, could ruin the stench of a rotting Walkadavers many people the holiday. And the smell is not the only Problem. If one of these giants of the oceans to die and rot begins to form in his stomach gases stored under a thick layer of Blubber.
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What happens to beached whales?A sandy grave
To dispose of a whale that has been rinsed, it can be a difficult task. Because they are a danger to the public health, you can not let them on the beach to decompose. Some environmentalists say, the Best is to bury them on the beach itself, as in the case of the four whales happened, who died in Aceh.