Pelvic Bones of Cetaceans
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This web site provides digital photographs, taken by David Taylor, of the pelvic bones of several different species of whales, dolphins and porpoise. They are referred to as pelvic bones because of the unresolved issue of labeling them vestiges, rudiments or remnants.
The data with each picture, when available, includes species, sex, length and either field number or museum number. Missing information is due in large part to the fact that some bones were collected over a century ago and arrived with incomplete data.
The source of these bones include the Smithsonian, the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, Northeastern University, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the American Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles County Museum, New Brunswick Museum, Florida Museum of Natural History and whale recovery efforts of Dr. Tom French, Dr. Michael Moore, the author and others.
Anyone wishing to contribute photographs of cetacean pelvic bones or comment on existing pictures is encouraged to e-mail David Taylor at (dbtaylor33@comcast.net )
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Browsing Pelvic Bones of Cetaceans by Subject "Balaenoptera acutorostrata"
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Still ImageBalaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - CCSN 04-152(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-05-04) Moore, Michael J. ; Taylor, David B.Balaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - CCSN 04-152 - female - 6.50 m - Pelvic location - Museum of Osteology, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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Still ImageBalaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - IFAW 15-079 Ba 3(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-05-05) Moore, Michael J. ; Taylor, David B.Balaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - IFAW 15-079 Ba 3 - female - 6.7 m - Pelvic location - University of Georgia
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Still ImageBalaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - MAL 03-282(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-05-04) Moore, Michael J. ; Taylor, David B.Balaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - MAL-03-282 - UMMZ 177420 - female - 8.50 m - Pelvic location - Michigan Museum of Zoology 24-foot female that washed ashore in stormy weather at Cape Neddick, York, York County, ME. Examined on 4 October. Its stomach was packed full of the bones of small fish. The nearly complete skeleton was salvaged on 19 October but had been damaged by the heavy surf on the rocky shoreline. The rostrum was missing but cranium undamaged with both auditory bullae in place, the right flipper was missing to the radius and ulna the ends of which were worn off, and the right mandible dropped out but was found brought up from the shore into a neighbor’s yard about a mile away.
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Still ImageBalaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - MH-03-474(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-05-05) Moore, Michael J. ; Taylor, David B.Balaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) -MH-03-474 - MCZ 64073 - female - 7.5 m - Pelvic location - Harvard University 24.6-foot (740 cm) adult female washed ashore with rope marks at Bass Rocks, Gloucester, Essex Co., MA. The carcass was pulled off the rocky shore and towed to a nearby sand beach where the entire skeleton was salvaged on 15 May. The baleen was taken by the Whale Research Center.
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Still ImageBalaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - MH-03-621(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-05-05) Moore, Michael J. ; Taylor, David B.Balaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - MH-03-621 - male - 6.7 m - Pelvic location - Museum of Osteology, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 21.3-foot (255 inches), ~8,400 lb., sub-adult male that washed ashore very fresh on Singing Beach, Manchester, Essex Co., MA. This animal had deep cuts on its tail stock suggesting that it was probably carrying rope until it died although none was on the whale when it was found. It was very thin, but the stomach had a large quantity of small fish (herring?) bones from a recent meal. The entire skeleton was salvaged, along with one rack of baleen, the next day. The skeleton was given to The World of Nature Museum of Osteology, Oklahoma City,
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Still ImageBalaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - NEAQ-12-046-Ba(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-05-05) Moore, Michael J. ; Taylor, David B.Balaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) -NEAQ-12-046-Ba - female - 7.2 m - Pelvic location - Trustees of Reservation A very fresh 23.6-foot (720 cm), sub-adult female with numerous rope marks and severe underlying bruising washed ashore on Crane Beach, Ipswich, MA. A necropsy was conducted the following day and the entire skeleton was salvaged. All the bones were salvaged, and none were found to be broken. The stomach was full of herring indicating a sudden death. The skeleton shows damage that may be consistent with Brucella. The skeleton was given to the Trustees of Reservations to be articulated and displayed in a new visitor�s center scheduled, but now on hold, to be built at Crane Beach.
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Still ImageBalaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - NUVC 2289(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-05-04) Moore, Michael J. ; Taylor, David B.Balaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - NUVC 2289 - male - 5.20 m - Pelvic location - University of Georgia 17-foot (520.7 cm), male washed ashore on south end of Plum Island in the state park, 50 feet S. of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge border, Ipswich, Essex Co., MA. Stomach contained bones of many fish. Skeleton, missing both mandibles, and all but 1 arm of the hyoid, salvaged 31 October for Northeastern Univ., Boston.
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Still ImageBalaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - NUVC 5037(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-05-04) Moore, Michael J. ; Taylor, David B.Balaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - NUVC 5037 - male - 5.0 m - Pelvic location - University of Georgia Approximately ~27-foot, male (18 ft trunk with about 5 ft head missing & about 4 ft of tail stock missing) washed ashore at Braces Cove on Eastern Point, Gloucester, Essex Co., MA. Old adult with most vertebral discs completely fused. Partial skeleton, missing skull, both mandibles, outer portion of both flippers, and about 4 feet of tail stock, salvaged on 15 June 2000 for Northeastern Univ., Boston.
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Still ImageBalaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - NUVC-2688(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-05-05) Moore, Michael J. ; Taylor, David B.Balaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - NUVC-2688 - female - 7.0 m - Pelvic location - University of Georgia 23-foot, female washed ashore on the south end of Plum Island, milemarker 2.8, N. of Sea Haven Park, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Ipswich, Essex Co., MA. Half of 1 tail fluke was missing and healed, the 10th caudal vertebra was crushed and healed, the 9th and its chevron are encrusted in arthritis-like bone growth, and the 3rd had a broken and healed disc. An apparent survivor of a propellor injury. Complete skeleton salvaged for Northeastern Univ., Boston.
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Still ImageBalaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - NUVC-3553(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-05-05) Moore, Michael J. ; Taylor, David B.Balaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - NUVC-3553 - female - 6.89 m - Pelvic location - University of Georgia 22-foot, female washed ashore at Nauset Beach, Orleans, Barnstable Co., MA. Most of skeleton, missing right flipper with humerus which was accidently left on beach, all 7 cervical vertebra, 1 thoracic vertebra, 15 of 22 ribs, all 3 hyoid bones, 1 pelvic bone, and the sternum, salvaged on 19 June for Northeastern Univ., Boston.
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Still ImageBalaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - NUVC-5036(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-05-05) Moore, Michael J. ; Taylor, David B.Balaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - NUVC-5036 - female - 9.14 m - Pelvic location - University of Georgia 30-foot (~914 cm), female washed ashore on Barnes Isl., South Harpswell, Sagadahoc Co., ME. Old adult with all vertebral discs completely fused. Complete skeleton salvaged on 26 June 1999 for Northeastern Univ., Boston.
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Still ImageBalaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - UF 24619(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-05-04) Moore, Michael J. ; Taylor, David B.Balaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - UF 24619 - female - 5.75 m - Pelvic location - University of Florida
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Still ImageBalaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - UMA 4869(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2022-05-04) Moore, Michael J. ; Taylor, David B.Balaenoptera acutorostrata (minke whale) - UMA 4869 - Female - 5.20 m - Pelvic location - UMass - Amherst. 23.6-foot 720 cm), female washed ashore at Herring Cove Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore, Provincetown, Barnstable Co., MA. Had a 3-inch-deep rope cut on tail, and a rope mark in mouth with damage to baleen on one side. Rope marks also on flipper, caudal peduncle, and flukes. Complete skeleton salvaged on 4 October for the Univ. of MA, Amherst.