New Species Of Beaked Whale Officially Recognized
SYDNEY, Australia, February 6, 2014 (ENS) – A species of beaked whale that was previously misnamed has been correctly identified as a new species, based on the study of seven whales stranded on remote tropical islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans over the past 50 years.
The study of the new species, called Mesoplodon hotaula, is published in the current issue of the journal “Marine Mammal Science.”
With the re-discovery of Mesoplodon hotaula, there are now 22 recognized species of beaked whales, a widespread but little-known family of toothed whales distantly related to sperm whales.
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The researchers used a combination of DNA analysis and physical characteristics to identify the new species from seven specimens found stranded in Sri Lanka, the Maldives, the Seychelles, the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati), and Palmyra Atoll, located halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa. The first specimen was a female found on a Sri Lankan beach more than 50 years ago.
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http://ens-newswire.com/2014/02/06/new-species-of-deep-diving-beaked-whale-identified/