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Catalog Data

Discipline:
Vertebrate Zoology  Search this
Region:
North American Region  Search this
Sex:
?
Object Type:
Education and Outreach collections
Collecting Locality:
North America, United States
Description:
This object is part of the Education and Outreach collection, some of which are in the Q?rius science education center and available to see.
Notes:
This item is an ear wax plug from the Rorqual (Balaenopteridae) family of whales. Rorquals are the largest group of baleen whales (whales with baleen plates that serve as teeth, which help them feed on tiny plankton). Examples of species in the Rorqual family include: Antarctic minke; Blue whale; Bryde's whale; Eden's whale; Fin whale; Humpback whale; Northern minke; and the Sei whale. These whales build up the wax in their ear canals over time, which creates the earplug. The earplugs can be used as an aging tool, as indicators of the specimen's health and stress levels, and as indicators of the health of the specimen's ecosystem, through chemical markers that are present in the earwax. This specimen is embedded in acrylic. The ear wax plug itself measures approximately 7 cm x 2 cm x 0.5 cm in size.
Number of objects in this record:
1
Record Last Modified:
6 Mar 2024
Topic:
Education & Outreach  Search this
Taxonomy:
Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Tetrapoda, Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Mysticeti, Balaenopteridae
Scientific Name:
Balaenopteridae
USNM Number:
EO401758
See more items in:
Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/39df5e4fa-07f9-4b27-bc55-3d3c6c1bd159
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnheducation_13107124