Scientists claim to have found a new species …



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Researchers from the environmental organization of marine fauna Sea Shepherd Conservation Society believe they have discovered a new species of whale in the Pacific, in the waters off a coast of Mexico. If confirmed, the finding would be very important news for studies of large mammals.

On November 17, near the islands of San Benito in Mexico, about 300 miles south (500 km) of the border with United States, a team of researchers came across three unusual specimens. They were following what they believed to be named pronounced beaked (or beaked) whales zifids.

On the second day of the expedition we had what was probably the biggest surprise of my life“Said Jay Barlow, marine mammal biologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. “We saw something new. Something that does not visually or acoustically match everything we know “he added.

Barlow and his team of specialists did not realize at the time that they might have been in the presence of a new species until they studied the photos they captured of the animals.

The theory of the discovery of a new species arose from subtle and unusual clues such as the arrangement of whales’ teeth and the type of communication between them, which they were able to record underwater.

Beaked whales, like all cetaceans, emit different acoustic echolocation signals underwater. These sounds are unique to each species and can reliably identify the types of beaked whales present in the area.

“I really think we’ve found a new species. It may be something unique and never seen before. It’s like looking for the last lost monster in a valley on this planet and meeting a unicorn instead. The thought that we could achieve something that anyone would say impossible gives me shivers of excitement, ”said Jay Barlow.

Scientists are now awaiting analysis of water samples that may contain skin cells for possible DNA testing to confirm whether whales are a new species.

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