This post is Part 1 in the Marine Biology Series!
Orcinus orca, commonly known as the Killer Whale, is the largest
species of dolphin in the world. The dorsal fin alone can grow to be
taller than an adult human. Despite their size, they are by no means
slow or stupid. They can reach 55km/h underwater and employ incredibly
smart tactics when hunting. They are amongst the only animals that will
hun
t and eat whales. Killer Whales are
known to beach themselves on purpose (a dangerous maneuvre) to catch
their prey by surprise. Once the prey is caught, they do not kill them
immediately, but bring them back for their children to practice hunting
with.
So, yeah. Pretty hardcore.
They have long lives.
Whilst male Killer Whales only live to their 50s, female Killer Whales
can survive well into their 90s. Yet, they are unable to reproduce after
their 30s and 40s. This equates to them having the longest menopause of
any non-human species. The reason for their obscenely long menopause
was unknown until quite recently. As it turns out, the mother is able to
care for her adult children well after menopause. A study shows that in
the absence of a mother, the likelihood of death for the adult son
increases 14 times. In the words of Dr Dan Franks, "Our analysis shows
that male killer whales are pretty much mommy's boys and struggle to
survive without their mother's help."
It's interesting that
while humans have evolved menopause to allow for women to care for their
grandchildren, female killer whales only seem to care for their own
offspring.
Read all about it! http://www.sciencedaily.com/
To find out more about Killer Whales, visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/
Image Source: Associated Press
This post is Part 1 in the Marine Biology Series!
Orcinus orca, commonly known as the Killer Whale, is the largest species of dolphin in the world. The dorsal fin alone can grow to be taller than an adult human. Despite their size, they are by no means slow or stupid. They can reach 55km/h underwater and employ incredibly smart tactics when hunting. They are amongst the only animals that will hun
Orcinus orca, commonly known as the Killer Whale, is the largest species of dolphin in the world. The dorsal fin alone can grow to be taller than an adult human. Despite their size, they are by no means slow or stupid. They can reach 55km/h underwater and employ incredibly smart tactics when hunting. They are amongst the only animals that will hun
t and eat whales. Killer Whales are
known to beach themselves on purpose (a dangerous maneuvre) to catch
their prey by surprise. Once the prey is caught, they do not kill them
immediately, but bring them back for their children to practice hunting
with.
So, yeah. Pretty hardcore.
They have long lives. Whilst male Killer Whales only live to their 50s, female Killer Whales can survive well into their 90s. Yet, they are unable to reproduce after their 30s and 40s. This equates to them having the longest menopause of any non-human species. The reason for their obscenely long menopause was unknown until quite recently. As it turns out, the mother is able to care for her adult children well after menopause. A study shows that in the absence of a mother, the likelihood of death for the adult son increases 14 times. In the words of Dr Dan Franks, "Our analysis shows that male killer whales are pretty much mommy's boys and struggle to survive without their mother's help."
It's interesting that while humans have evolved menopause to allow for women to care for their grandchildren, female killer whales only seem to care for their own offspring.
Read all about it! http://www.sciencedaily.com/
To find out more about Killer Whales, visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/
Image Source: Associated Press
So, yeah. Pretty hardcore.
They have long lives. Whilst male Killer Whales only live to their 50s, female Killer Whales can survive well into their 90s. Yet, they are unable to reproduce after their 30s and 40s. This equates to them having the longest menopause of any non-human species. The reason for their obscenely long menopause was unknown until quite recently. As it turns out, the mother is able to care for her adult children well after menopause. A study shows that in the absence of a mother, the likelihood of death for the adult son increases 14 times. In the words of Dr Dan Franks, "Our analysis shows that male killer whales are pretty much mommy's boys and struggle to survive without their mother's help."
It's interesting that while humans have evolved menopause to allow for women to care for their grandchildren, female killer whales only seem to care for their own offspring.
Read all about it! http://www.sciencedaily.com/
To find out more about Killer Whales, visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/
Image Source: Associated Press
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