Whale+Fossils

=Whale Fossils=

These **25 million-year-old** fossils were found a few kilometres north of **Kakanui**, on the **North Otago coast**. They belong to a species of mysticetes, or **baleen whale**. whale's upper jaw.
 * [[image:P1070602-2.JPG width="337" height="233" caption="Whale fossils: vertebra and rib fragments"]] || [[image:FHR_00582_1_w.jpg width="241" height="231" caption="A complete whale vertebra"]] ||
 * Mysticetes** means "whale with a moustache" because of the baleen plates that hang in rows from the



poking up above the waves. Whales and dolphins used the calm waters near Kakanui for breeding and as they died, their carcasses became embedded in marine sediments that turned to rock. Millions of years later, the rocks were uplifted above the sea and then began to wear away, leaving the fossil bones exposed. microscopic plant and animal larvae called **plankton**. The whales use their baleen to strain food: they open their mouths and take in a huge amount of water. Then, with thier 3-ton tongues, force the water through the baleen and the tiny plankton get trapped behind. Some of the largest baleen whales eat thousands of kilos pf plankton each day.
 * 25 million years ago**, New Zealand was a huge underwater platform with perhaps a few small islands
 * [[image:baleinebosse.jpg width="335" height="223" caption="A baleen whale"]] || [[image:baleen.gif width="183" height="196" caption="Baleen plates"]] ||
 * Baleen whales** are among the largest animals that ever lived but they eat some of the smallest creatures -

__Preparing a whale skelton for a museum:__
An interesting site: **[|www.ups.edu/x11960.xml]**
 * [[image:WhaleMuseum04(thumb).jpg width="162" height="215"]] || [[image:WhaleMuseum08(thumb).jpg width="226" height="169"]] ||
 * [[image:WhaleInstall025.jpg width="159" height="212"]] || [[image:WhaleMuseum07(thumb).jpg width="230" height="171"]] ||
 * [[image:WhaleInstall025.jpg width="163" height="217"]] || [[image:Whaleprep4(thumb).jpg width="234" height="175"]] ||