Ancient whales did not filter feed with their teeth
The origin of baleen whales ( Mysticeti ), the largest animals on Earth, is closely tied to their signature filter-feeding strategy. Unlike their modern relatives, archaic whales possessed a well-developed, heterodont adult dentition. How these teeth were used, and what role their function and subse...
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Online Access: | https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/0a4ed831-215b-4e92-b6c9-9f40130e8f29 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2017.0348 https://researchmgt.monash.edu/ws/files/242108179/242106455_oa.pdf http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85030468471&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
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ftmonashunicris:oai:monash.edu:publications/0a4ed831-215b-4e92-b6c9-9f40130e8f29 2024-09-15T17:57:25+00:00 Ancient whales did not filter feed with their teeth Hocking, David P. Marx, Felix G. Fitzgerald, Erich M.G. Evans, Alistair R. 2017-08-01 application/pdf https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/0a4ed831-215b-4e92-b6c9-9f40130e8f29 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2017.0348 https://researchmgt.monash.edu/ws/files/242108179/242106455_oa.pdf http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85030468471&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/0a4ed831-215b-4e92-b6c9-9f40130e8f29 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Hocking , D P , Marx , F G , Fitzgerald , E M G & Evans , A R 2017 , ' Ancient whales did not filter feed with their teeth ' , Biology Letters , vol. 13 , no. 8 , 20170348 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2017.0348 Baleen whale Filter feeding Mysticeti Raptorial feeding Tooth sharpness article 2017 ftmonashunicris https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2017.0348 2024-07-24T23:49:48Z The origin of baleen whales ( Mysticeti ), the largest animals on Earth, is closely tied to their signature filter-feeding strategy. Unlike their modern relatives, archaic whales possessed a well-developed, heterodont adult dentition. How these teeth were used, and what role their function and subsequent loss played in the emergence of filter feeding, is an enduring mystery. In particular, it has been suggested that elaborate tooth crowns may have enabled stem mysticetes to filter with their postcanine teeth in a manner analogous to living crabeater and leopard seals, thereby facilitating the transition to baleen-assisted filtering. Here we show that the teeth of archaic mysticetes are as sharp as those of terrestrial carnivorans, raptorial pinnipeds and archaeocetes, and thus were capable of capturing and processing prey. By contrast, the postcanine teeth of leopard and crabeater seals are markedly blunter, and clearly unsuited to raptorial feeding. Our results suggest that mysticetes never passed through a tooth-based filtration phase, and that the use of teeth and baleen in early whales was not functionally connected. Continued selection for tooth sharpness in archaic mysticetes is best explained by a feeding strategy that included both biting and suction, similar to that of most living pinnipeds and, probably, early toothed whales ( Odontoceti ). Article in Journal/Newspaper baleen whale baleen whales Crabeater Seals Leopard Seals toothed whales Monash University Research Portal Biology Letters 13 8 20170348 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Monash University Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftmonashunicris |
language |
English |
topic |
Baleen whale Filter feeding Mysticeti Raptorial feeding Tooth sharpness |
spellingShingle |
Baleen whale Filter feeding Mysticeti Raptorial feeding Tooth sharpness Hocking, David P. Marx, Felix G. Fitzgerald, Erich M.G. Evans, Alistair R. Ancient whales did not filter feed with their teeth |
topic_facet |
Baleen whale Filter feeding Mysticeti Raptorial feeding Tooth sharpness |
description |
The origin of baleen whales ( Mysticeti ), the largest animals on Earth, is closely tied to their signature filter-feeding strategy. Unlike their modern relatives, archaic whales possessed a well-developed, heterodont adult dentition. How these teeth were used, and what role their function and subsequent loss played in the emergence of filter feeding, is an enduring mystery. In particular, it has been suggested that elaborate tooth crowns may have enabled stem mysticetes to filter with their postcanine teeth in a manner analogous to living crabeater and leopard seals, thereby facilitating the transition to baleen-assisted filtering. Here we show that the teeth of archaic mysticetes are as sharp as those of terrestrial carnivorans, raptorial pinnipeds and archaeocetes, and thus were capable of capturing and processing prey. By contrast, the postcanine teeth of leopard and crabeater seals are markedly blunter, and clearly unsuited to raptorial feeding. Our results suggest that mysticetes never passed through a tooth-based filtration phase, and that the use of teeth and baleen in early whales was not functionally connected. Continued selection for tooth sharpness in archaic mysticetes is best explained by a feeding strategy that included both biting and suction, similar to that of most living pinnipeds and, probably, early toothed whales ( Odontoceti ). |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hocking, David P. Marx, Felix G. Fitzgerald, Erich M.G. Evans, Alistair R. |
author_facet |
Hocking, David P. Marx, Felix G. Fitzgerald, Erich M.G. Evans, Alistair R. |
author_sort |
Hocking, David P. |
title |
Ancient whales did not filter feed with their teeth |
title_short |
Ancient whales did not filter feed with their teeth |
title_full |
Ancient whales did not filter feed with their teeth |
title_fullStr |
Ancient whales did not filter feed with their teeth |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ancient whales did not filter feed with their teeth |
title_sort |
ancient whales did not filter feed with their teeth |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/0a4ed831-215b-4e92-b6c9-9f40130e8f29 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2017.0348 https://researchmgt.monash.edu/ws/files/242108179/242106455_oa.pdf http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85030468471&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
genre |
baleen whale baleen whales Crabeater Seals Leopard Seals toothed whales |
genre_facet |
baleen whale baleen whales Crabeater Seals Leopard Seals toothed whales |
op_source |
Hocking , D P , Marx , F G , Fitzgerald , E M G & Evans , A R 2017 , ' Ancient whales did not filter feed with their teeth ' , Biology Letters , vol. 13 , no. 8 , 20170348 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2017.0348 |
op_relation |
https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/0a4ed831-215b-4e92-b6c9-9f40130e8f29 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2017.0348 |
container_title |
Biology Letters |
container_volume |
13 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
20170348 |
_version_ |
1810433567297110016 |