17 June 2021 - NARLUGA WHALE DISCOVERED IN ARCTIC

 

NARLUGA WHALE 

DISCOVERED IN ARCTIC

 

G'day folks,

A unique whale skull at the Natural History Museum of Denmark had been puzzling scientists for over 30 years. 
 
The skull was found in the Arctic and had features of both the beluga and narwhal whales. After years of study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen finally concluded in 2019 that the skull belonged to what was an extraordinary hybrid animal — a cross between a narwhal and a beluga. Both these whales are very common in the Arctic and share quite a few similarities. The new hybrid species was found after the researchers managed to extract DNA from the skull’s teeth.
 
A Beluga Whale

 The analysis showed that the whale’s DNA was 54% beluga and 46% narwhal. The hybrid, named as Narluga, is likely a male. Further study is being conducted to ascertain when and how the hybrid was born and whether there are any members of the species still alive.
 
Clancy's comment: There ya go. I wonder how they found the original skull.

I'm ...



 
 
 

 

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