{"id":2185071,"date":"2025-01-04T06:00:27","date_gmt":"2025-01-04T05:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2185071"},"modified":"2025-01-03T14:37:30","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T13:37:30","slug":"dissecting-the-worlds-rarest-whale-in-pictures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/dissecting-the-worlds-rarest-whale-in-pictures\/","title":{"rendered":"Dissecting the world\u2019s rarest whale \u2013 in pictures"},"content":{"rendered":"

Conservationists and scientists in New Zealand were astonished to find the world\u2019s rarest whale washed ashore in the South Island in July.<\/p>\n

As only the seventh spade-toothed whale identified, and with none ever seen alive, this month saw the first dissection of a complete specimen<\/p>\n

Rangers in New Zealand inspect a beaked whale, believed to be the very rare spade-toothed species, found on a beach near Otago.<\/p>\n

Jim Fyfe and T\u016bmai Cassidy, both conservation rangers, walk with the rare spade-toothed whale, Mesoplodon traversii, after it was found washed ashore on the South Island beach in New Zealand on 5 July.<\/p>\n

Sophie White, from Otago University, addresses M\u0101ori representatives, Department of Conservation officials and scientists to discuss the dissection. As well as establishing everyone\u2019s roles and safety protocols, the meeting was also to ensure tikanga (M\u0101ori ethical guidelines) were observed.<\/p>\n

\"Jim
Jim Fyfe and T\u016bmai Cassidy, both conservation rangers, walk with the rare spade-toothed whale, Mesoplodon traversii, after it was found washed ashore on the South Island beach in New Zealand on 5 July. Photograph: Department of Conservation\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Sophie
Sophie White, from Otago University, addresses M\u0101ori representatives, Department of Conservation officials and scientists to discuss the dissection. As well as establishing everyone\u2019s roles and safety protocols, the meeting was also to ensure tikanga (M\u0101ori ethical guidelines) were observed. Photograph: Derek Morrison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Prof
Prof Joy Reidenberg, an anatomist at the Icahn school of medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, left; Anton van Helden, an expert on beaked whales with the conservation department;and Carolina Loch, a biologist at the Otago dentistry faculty, discuss plans for the dissection at the Invermay Agricultural Centre. Photograph: Derek Morrison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Representatives
Representatives of two M\u0101ori tribes, the Ng\u0101i Tahu and Ng\u0101ti Wai, with conservation department officials and scientists begin to dissect the beaked whale. Dr Alex Werth (bottom left) examines the gular, or throat, of the male cetacean, while Sophie White and Te Kaurinui Parata start to remove the epaxial muscles, which run alongside the spine and help move body parts such as dorsal fins. Photograph: Derek Morrison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Te
Te Kaurinui Parata, a whale expert and Ng\u0101ti Wai representative, holds a knife and a blubber hook that will be used to remove the epaxial muscles from the left side of the animal. Photograph: Derek Morrison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Parata
Parata begins to remove a portion of the large epaxial muscles from the animal\u2019s back. Scientists weigh these blocks to get a total mass for these muscle groups to help make comparisons with other deep-diving beaked whales. Photograph: Derek Morrison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
A block of epaxial muscles is removed. The muscle is dark red because it is filled with myoglobin, which stores oxygen for the whales\u2019 deep dives in search of prey. Photograph: Derek Morrison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Dr
Dr Alex Werth, a biology professor at Virginia\u2019s Hampden-Sydney College in the US, holds part of the epaxial muscle on a blubber hook, showing how dark it is from the myoglobin. Photograph: Derek Morrison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"String
String is used in photographs of dissections to show where the muscles are attached and the direction in which the muscle fibres are pulling. This helps to make the findings more obvious for later description or illustration, and to show how they affect movement. Here, the scientists are examining muscles around the scapula, or shoulder blade, and flipper. Photograph: Derek Morrison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Reidenberg
Reidenberg uses forceps and a scalpel to dissect the muscles and structures of the throat ahead of the sternum. Her particular interest is in the larynx and linked structures. The bar in the image shows the scale of the area being examined. Photograph: Derek Morrison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Hori
Hori Parata, a M\u0101ori elder and whale expert from Whang\u0101rei, with his son Te Kaurinui. Hori has worked on more than 500 whale and dolphin strandings across the country and feels strongly about the need to pass on his m\u0101tauranga \u2013 or knowledge \u2013 to younger people. Photograph: Derek Morrison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Some
Some of the M\u0101ori representatives, Department of Conservation staff and scientists who worked on the dissection. They described themselves as tired but pleased with progress. Their findings included the discovery that spade-toothed whales have nine stomach chambers and vestigial teeth in the upper jaw. Photograph: Derek Morrison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article<\/a> was first published by The Guardian on 24 December 2024. Lead Image: Rangers in New Zealand inspect a beaked whale, believed to be the very rare spade-toothed species, found on a beach near Otago. Photograph: Department of Conservation\/AP.<\/i><\/p>\n

What you can do<\/h2>\n

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