Scientists practice communicating with aliens by chatting to whales

If movies are anything to go by, meeting aliens rarely goes well for humanity. To stop us making a faux pas of cosmic proportions, scientists have been practicing by trying to chat to whales in their own language – and judging by the early results, we … Continue reading Scientists practice communicating with aliens by chatting to whales

Look out, L’Oréal: Whales play with seaweed to exfoliate their skin

Play is an important part of animal behavior, helping diverse species form social structures and bonds, develop cognitive function and enhance physical abilities. Yet human understanding of how other animals play is not well understood. Now, scientists… Continue reading Look out, L’Oréal: Whales play with seaweed to exfoliate their skin

Newly discovered skulls suggest prehistoric reptile fed like a whale

Dinosaur fans will already be familiar with the ichthyosaurus, a prehistoric marine reptile that resembled a dolphin in appearance. Well it now seems that one of its close relatives, named Hupehsuchus, fed much like a modern-day baleen whale.Continue R… Continue reading Newly discovered skulls suggest prehistoric reptile fed like a whale

Colossal new species may be largest animal that ever existed

An artist's impression of Perucetus colossus, a newly discovered ancient whale species that may now be the largest animal that ever existed

The blue whale has long been considered the largest animal to have ever existed, even dwarfing the biggest known dinosaurs. But now a new species threatens to steal the crown, and upends what we thought we knew about whale evolution.

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Tracking whales with existing fiber-optic cables may reduce ship strikes

Global warming has caused many large whales to move from warmer waters, increasing the risk of being struck by ships. Norwegian researchers have converted existing fiber-optic cables into hydrophones, enabling them to track Arctic fin whales in real ti… Continue reading Tracking whales with existing fiber-optic cables may reduce ship strikes

Whale-chasing drones are a marine science game-changer, study reveals

They’re some of the world’s largest mammals, but whales are notoriously difficult for scientists to gather good intel on. While surface populations can be counted and watched, observational research is limited given the animals spend around 95% of thei… Continue reading Whale-chasing drones are a marine science game-changer, study reveals

Signs of Alzheimer’s found in brains of beached dolphins

New research bolsters a hypothesis dubbed

Could the phenomenon of whale and dolphin strandings be due to Alzheimer’s-like cognitive deficits in pod leaders that draw groups into shallow waters? A new study looking at brain tissue from stranded dolphins reveals pathological signs that resemble what is seen in human patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

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Study finds blue whales eat some 10 million microplastic particles a day

We know that marine animals of all sizes are inadvertently consuming plastics as they move through the ocean, but what does this diet look like for the largest of them all? To answer this question, scientists at Stanford University have analyzed the fo… Continue reading Study finds blue whales eat some 10 million microplastic particles a day