strange whale

Scientist are stumped by a strange, lone whale, that they have been tracking for the last decade. They claim that it is definitley a type of baleen whale but a type that they have never tracked. It doesn't follow the same migration patterns and it "sings" at a higher frequency than other similar whales. Interesting read.

story.news.yahoo.com.../nm/20041208/sc_nm/environment_whale_dc

Maybe its a new species or a deformed whale

Originally posted by Croat56
Maybe its a new species or a deformed whale

That's what I was thinking myself but it would be interesting to see if they could get a better look. It could be a new species, possibly a diseased rouge whale or maybe more. Then again maybe this is a form of the whales language that we have yet to record. Maybe it's the last remaining whale of it's herd and it's crying out, lost and alone. Who knows, after rading about the gorillas, who held the "wake" over the death of a member, nothing would shock me.

I actually wrote it off as a deformed/diseased whale. However from the opening sentence on the source site, we have to throw that possibility away.

A lone whale, with a voice unlike any other, has been wandering the Pacific for the past 12 years

I can't see a diseased whale living for this long. Also, (besides man) what is a whale's predator? If darwinism was in effect, wouldnt he have died a long time ago?

My guess is that it's a a whale with a deformed or overgrown part that makes it's call pitch, higher. Just like Eisntein had a larger brain than basically all humans.

Also, (besides man) what is a whale's predator? If darwinism was in effect, wouldnt he have died a long time ago?

A whales predator if sick is sharks and if not sick killer whales (orca, black n white ones) are known to attack and eat mothers and calfs, surrounding them and harrassing them till too weak to fighht back, they work in pods, together, much like a wolf pack.

I hope its a rare unknown species. Its nice to think there might be more speciers out their we havent yet found and slaughtered.
Very interesting story, thanks for the link.

Originally posted by instar

Also, (besides man) what is a whale's predator? If darwinism was in effect, wouldnt he have died a long time ago?

A whales predator if sick is sharks and if not sick killer whales (orca, black n white ones) are known to attack and eat mothers and calfs, surrounding them and harrassing them till too weak to fighht back, they work in pods, together, much like a wolf pack.

I hope its a rare unknown species. Its nice to think there might be more speciers out their we havent yet found and slaughtered.
Very interesting story, thanks for the link.

It would be great to find that we have overlooked a new species of whale. I believe it is possible as there is still so much more about the worlds oceans that we have yet to discover. I'm also wondering if known whales have the capability to reach that high of a frequency. Could this be a behavior that we have yet to witness?

a new species of one?

I imagine it is either deformed and cannot produce the proper frequnecy range or it simply cannot sing at the lower frequency. The complete lack of communication ability would probably be the reason for the "lone whale" status as well as the different migratory patterns.

It's probably the last of it's kind.

It'll die, then some alien probe will come to Earth.

The probe will wonder why they've lost contact, and the Earth will be doomed...unless of course we can go back in time to bring one of them back to the present...

Oh, wait a minute....that's something else....

There is always the possiblity that the whale is the last of a dying breed that had never been seen/found before 12yrs ago and is on the verge of extinction.

^^^^^Looks around ^^^^^^^^ for Captain Kirk and waits for Scottie to shout. Captain there be whales here

Now thats cool.


I don't understand tho, they've never been able to home in on the sounds and find it? Only record its lonely calls?

skycheif
after rading about the gorillas, who held the "wake" over the death of a member, nothing would shock me.

gorillas also do a little dance when ever it starts to rain. \

Chimpanzees apparently do a tribal dance, often around a large pole (well, a tree) that has emphasis on one foot, so its got a structure to it.

Also, chimps hunt in largish, coordinated groups with different members performing different duties. Very very socialized animals.

[edit on 9-12-2004 by Nygdan]

It would be very cool indeed if it were actually an unknown species, but to me logic would say that this is Darwin at work and probably just a genetic mutation.

Originally posted by VirusClock
Just like Eisntein had a larger brain than basically all humans.

What? Einstein didn't have a significantly larger brain that other people.

All that is had on this whale is its 'whalesong'. Birds and whales can be distinguished by naturalists (and of course other animals) by their 'songs', which are part learned part inbred. Furthermore, this whale has its own migratory pattern, which re-inforces the idea that its a seperate type of animal. If it was just some freak unable to sing the proper song, then it should be traveling along with the others, rather than following a unique route.

Originally posted by Yosemite Sam
It would be very cool indeed if it were actually an unknown species, but to me logic would say that this is Darwin at work and probably just a genetic mutation.

Huh? Darwin didn't know about genetic mutations, but rather theorized about the origin of species.

Huh? Darwin didn't know about genetic mutations, but rather theorized about the origin of species.

Nygdan, sorry if I mis-spoke. I am not a student of Darwin per se. Astronomy and Physics are more my game. I was simply thinking in terms of natural selection via mutation.

Originally posted by Nygdan
What? Einstein didn't have a significantly larger brain that other people.

Brain Link

It was 15% wider. Of course no one knows if that makes a difference or not.

Originally posted by VirusClock
My guess is that it's a a whale with a deformed or overgrown part that makes it's call pitch, higher. Just like Eisntein had a larger brain than basically all humans.

Actually Einstein just used a higher percentage of it. I think that most humans only use like 12 percent of theirs.

For some reason it makes me very sad to think there's a strange whale out there alone just swimming around lost.

Originally posted by Montana
Brain Link.

Extensive development of this region meant that Einstein's brain was 15% wider than the other brains studied.

Uniquely, Einstein's brain also lacked a groove that normally runs through part of this area. The researchers suggest that its absence may have allowed the neurons to communicate much more easily.

Very interesting. I stand corrected.

Originally posted by Webmonkey336
I think that most humans only use like 12 percent of theirs.

This is actually an urban myth. Humans use all portions of their brain, different parts for different tasks and different 'percentages' at different times.