Pic sperm whale

Over the course of 50 million years, beginning in the early Eocene epoch, whales evolved from their tiny, terrestrial, four-legged progenitors to the giants of the sea they are today. On the following slides, you'll find pictures and detailed profiles of over 20 prehistoric whales , ranging from A Acrophyseter to Z Zygorhiza. You can gauge the measure of the prehistoric sperm whale Acrophyseter by its full name: Acrophyseter deinodon , which translates roughly as "pointy-snouted sperm whale with terrible teeth" "terrible" in this context meaning scary, not rotten. This "killer sperm whale," as it's sometimes called, possessed a long, pointed snout studded with sharp teeth, making it look a bit like a cross between a cetacean and a shark. Unlike modern sperm whales, which feed mostly on squids and fish, Acrophyseter seems to have pursued a more varied diet, including sharks, seals, penguins and even other prehistoric whales. As you can guess from its name, Acrophyseter was closely related to another sperm whale ancestor, Brygmophyseter.

All rights reserved. Sperm whales' heads are filled with a mysterious substance called spermaceti. Scientists have yet to understand its function, but believe it may help the animal regulate its buoyancy. They have the largest brain of any creature known to have lived on Earth. Their heads also hold large quantities of a substance called spermaceti.

Skip to content. Canadian underwater photographer Keri Wilk was diving off the coast of Dominica last March when a sperm whale approached him and his fellow divers. What happened next came as shock to Wilk. Wilk says he's seen whales defecate as a form of defense before, but not to this extent. We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.

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