Whales Smithsonian Ocean
Table Of Content At the Smithsonian Functions of Whales’ Hairs Who has the largest brain? Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu Detected For The First Time In Common Bottlenose Dolphin History & Culture Amazing facts about whales and dolphins Fin Whales, Sei Whales, Right Whales, and Bowhead Whales Estimating whale populations before large-scale commercial whaling depleted their numbers in the 19th century is particularly difficult. Scientists use historical whaling records or genetic methods (comparing genetic diversity within current whale populations) to determine past population sizes. Larger species also retain heat because their skin surface area is small compared to the size of their bodies. Smaller species make use of higher metabolism and a counter-current heat exchange system of blood vessels in their flukes and flippers to keep warm. This exchange allows for cold blood in the limbs to move from the animal’s extremities in veins directly along arteries carrying warm blood from t...