A New Species of Whale :: Anthropology Essays Paleontology Papers

Questions Surrounding a New Species of Whale During the month of September in 1998 an amazing and unique discovery was found by a group of scientists when they went out to the Sea of Japan. There, they collected the carcass of a medium sized baleen whale. This was the ninth specimen needed to complete the research on discovering this new species. This species of the baleen whale did resemble the fin whale, another species of the baleen whale. However, this carcass was much smaller in size. After comparing DNA data of the external morphology, osteology, and mitochondrial, scientists were able to classify all they found into a new and different species. This new species, which was named after a Japanese cetologist, H. Omura, has a unique cranial morphology and a small number of baleen plates. Another wonderful discovery was made while doing this research as well, that was that one of the species of baleen whale could actually be classified into two unique species, Eden’s whale and Bryde’s whale. There were thought to be only five species of the baleen whale. But after the new discovery was made the number had risen to eight. This finding, however, raises many questions about animal’s rights. In order for the scientists to get information on this new species they had to murder nine other whales, one ‘accidentally.’ This finding was a great feat for science because it is important to learn as much as we can about a species before they become extinct. The rate in which large aquatic mammals are reaching extinction has been rising. So although there is much to be found and much that has been found about not only the new species of the baleen whale, but also the other two species that have risen to the surface, it was not done without farthing along the extinction process of another species. The scientists claim that the research necessary to compile all the facts regarding the new species of whale did not start until a ninth whale was accidentally killed. However, there were eight other whales, five females and three males, whose death were not accidental. Who were killed for the sole purpose of scientific information. Whose species could all be in danger of extinction. This find was seen as extremely important and necessary because of the rate in which large mammals are becoming extinct.