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The sperm whale or cachalot [a] (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator.It is the only living member of the genus Physeter and one of three extant species in the sperm whale family, along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the genus Kogia.
Physeter is a genus of toothed whales.There is only one living species in this genus: the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). [2] Some extremely poorly known fossil species have also been assigned to the same genus including Physeter antiquus (5.3–2.6 mya) from the Pliocene of France, [3] and Physeter vetus (2.6 mya – 12 ka) from the Quaternary of the U.S. state of Georgia. [4]
Sperm whale and bottlenose whale. The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest species of toothed whale, with adult bulls (males) growing to be about 15–18 m (49–59 ft) long, and weighing about 45–70 metric tons (44–69 long tons; 50–77 short tons). The two kogiid species are much smaller, around 2.5 to 3.5 m (8 ft 2 in to ...
Grand Cachalot (Physeter macrocephalus), mom et juvenile. The Great Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of the odontocetes, measuring up to eighteen meters in length and weighing forty tons (considerably less for females). [38]
The genus name Zygophyseter comes from the Latin word zygomaticus, which emphasizes the elongation of the zygomatic process of the only known species Z. varolai, and the term physeter refers to the modern-day sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) of the family Physeteridae. The species name honors the discoverer. [1]
Articles relating to the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus, cachalot) and its closest relatives. It is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It is the only living member of the genus Physeter and one of three extant species in the sperm whale family, along with the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the ...
Strandings of sperm whales have occurred across much of their global range. About 60 per cent of the world's recorded sperm whale strandings occur in three regions – Tasmania, New Zealand and the North Sea. [1] 132 strandings of sperm whales were recorded around the coast of the United Kingdom (mostly in Scotland) between 1990 and 2011. [2]
In the modern sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), this organ is far larger in proportion to the animal's body than what would be explained by simple allometry.Its evolution has caused changes in basal skull morphology, which may implicate that a trade-off was made that compromised the functionality of other features.