Physiological Adaptations of the Plesiosaur for ‘Holding Its Breath'

The evolutionary path of a whale is a fascinating process of a terrestrial mammal that evolves into a marine mammal. This evolutionary path started with one of the earliest ancestors called “Pakicetus”. A Pakicetus was discovered to be a land animal with four legs that had teeth as carnivores. It skull structure was long, but this organism didn’t look like any marine animal. The scientist then discovered that on the skull’s ear region it was surrounded by a bony wall. This feature on an organism only was distinct from one type of species, scientist discovered that this animal “Pakicetus” was an ancestor of a whale. By comparing the early whales Pakicetus to the next generation of ancestors Ambulocetus, the Ambulocetus whale looks more like

The ocean is a very difficult place to live. The animals living in the seas have to handle every moment with finding food, and protecting themselves from predators. There are many ways of hiding, defending, and feeding, and every different technique has advantages for different animals. Adaptations for Survival in the Sea explores some of the adaptations used by various sea creatures to survive.

This involves a change in the shape of their body, skull and ears, the colour of their skin and fur, and the digestion of seal fat.

Some ways in which sea horses have adapted to better survive in their habitats. One of their abilities that can help them survive is their ability to camouflage and hide from their predators. The second thing is that they don’t have scales they have bony plates. The final thing is that they have special senses.

and they spend 2/3rds of their life in a 30-foot deep “pool.” Also, the whales sometimes hurt

Without a strong long distance swim, a whale’s dorsal fin becomes weakened and will eventually either look bent, curve to the side, or break off.

Natural selection has shaped the leatherback sea turtle in a myriad of ways, bringing it to its present form. Bolstering its ability to survive, the leatherback's flexible and rubbery shell texture give the species and more hydrodynamic structure, allowing them to dive to depths of 4,200 feet. Leatherbacks are also able to maintain warm body temperatures in cold water by using a unique set of adaptations that allow them to both generate and retain body heat.

Blackfish, a whistleblowing documentary on the ethical and moral misconduct of SeaWorld, has shown the impact captivity has put on Orca whales. Throughout the film we see male and female whales performing, beaching into shallow pools to wave or blow water on the audience and trainers. But something that is commonly overlooked is the whale’s collapsed dorsal fin. Dorsal collapse is caused by the whale surfacing too much and for a long period of time. It is hypothesized that the

the harp seal has many adoptions including high fat content, highly adapt lungs, and hydrodynamic bodies.

In the article, “Sperm Whales and Killer Whales with the Largest Brain of All Toothed Whales Show Extreme Differences in Cerebellum” the author Sam H. Ridgway studies the cerebellums of the most widest distributed whales in the world. The killer whale and the sperm whale both have huge brains, but this study suggests why the killer whales have a significantly larger cerebellum than that of the sperm whale. After collecting, measuring, and preserving the species, the skull was ready to be chipped away and the brain ready to be taken from the massive cranium. Once extracted, the brain was measured to determine the cerebellar volume: (length of cerebellum base × width of the base × height × 1/3).

For example, this happens because killer whales hurt themselves by getting scratched to the metals such as bars in the cages, having broken teeth or jaws by chewing on those metal bars, and much more. Also, according to the article called Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way, “Marineland’s lone orca, Kiska, was trailing blood from cuts in her tail as she swam.” In most killer whale cages, adult male killer whales have collapsed dorsal fins that most trainers say that is a condition that happens often to them. But, adult male having collapsed dorsal fins are a condition that rarely occurs in wild killer whales. They also die faster by getting too much stress from captivity and many other things.

The first is that early whales had nostrils located at the rostrum, and as they transitioned back into water, evolution occurred and the nostrils migrated to the top of their head because it was more favorable for underwater life. This allows whales to remain submerged in water while only revealing their nostrils for gas exchange. Additionally, it can be hypothesized that the Odontocetes gave up one blowhole to develop highly modified tissues designed for the production and transmission of echolocation and communication sounds. Right whales (Mysticetes) on the other hand, obtain food through filter feeding, a technique that does not require the same echolocation feature used by dwarf sperm whales for hunting purposes. Therefore, they have no use for highly modified tissues. Natural selection only selects for traits that are beneficial to the organism, and therefore instead of a trade-off between a blowhole and modified tissues, right whales "retain both blowholes and use it primarily for air breathing and perhaps olfaction. Having the two blowholes allow for an increase in airflow, increasing the intake of air in a shorter

In spite of their enormous mass, baleen whales are able to leap completely out of the water. Particularly known for their acrobatics are the humpback whales, but other baleen whales also break through the

Species of animals use morphological and physical adaptations to evaluate the environment around them for a variety of reasons to continue with daily life. Morphological characteristics can aid navigating a certain habitat which is essential for survival. Marine mammals might exhibit characteristics in order to successfully maneuver through oceanic waters, which are often plagued by low visibility and turbid waters. Pinnipeds serve as an example of species that live and hunt in drastic waters. Pinnipeds exhibit a physical characteristic known as vibrissae, a sensitive sensory hair or whisker. Vibrissae of a pinniped can be shown in two forms: smooth and undulated. Undulated vibrissae, structures that are wavy or bumpy in form, are present in most true seals with the exception of the monk and bearded seals. Other pinnipeds, such as sea lions, fur seals, and walruses, have smooth vibrissae structures. Careful examination of the vibrissal system and structures reveal that they are highly sensitive to outside stimulation.

The diving reflex is a method found in animals and all mammals to manage oxygen levels allowing them to spend time underwater longer. Conservation of oxygen is important