The Structure of Whale Blubber, and a Discussion of its Thermal Properties BY

• Main Authors: D. A. Parry, Gross Morphology
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Balaenoptera musculus
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.530.6486; http://jcs.biologists.org/content/s3-90/9/13.full.pdf

S a warm-blooded animal, a whale must be adapted not only to prevent \ an excessive loss of heat but also to control the rate of heat loss in relation to changes in its metabolic activity and in the temperature of its sur-roundings. This paper contains an account of whale blubber considered from this point of view. The first part is devoted to the morphology of blubber, particular attention being paid to the blood circulation which does not appear to have been previously described; and the second part contains a discussion of the efficacy of blubber as a thermal insulator of controllable conductance. The results are based on a study of the Common Porpoise (Phocaena phocaena), and the Blue and Fin Whales (Balaenoptera musculus and B. physalus). The term 'blubber ' is in popular and commercial use to denote the super-ficial tissues of whales and seals, which form, a compact layer loosely fastened to the underlying muscle and easily stripped off for commercial purposes. Blubber comprises the animal's epidermis, dermis, and hypodermal tissues; and in the following account the word will always be used in this sense. The term 'integument ' is used to refer to these tissues in other mammals.