The sound is then transmitted through the ear bones. The evolution of whales. A useful site if you would like to learn more about whales is Discover Harvey Bay so click on this button and it will take you straight to the site. The basic framework of coral reefs is formed by coral polyps and the miniscule algae that live inside of them. In fact, none of the individual animals on the evogram is the direct ancestor of any other, as far as we know. Aside from the differences in their range, the northern minke whale has a white band on its fin that the Antarctic minke whale does not. They include blubber for warmth, a sleek shape for swimming and they never need to sleep. By side lunging they can stun their prey and by gulping a lot of water they can collect a lot of plankton that they can then sift through (Minke Whale, 2014). Despite numerous discoveries, to date no single theory can explain this remarkable accuracy that whales have to navigate their way through the oceans. Whales are marine mammals and make up around 30 – 40 species within the cetacean family.. Baleen whales are also believed to have the ability to “taste” differences in the composition of water masses, and thereby to find their way back to the mouth of a river or the edge of the sea ice. There are many adaptations that simply make the whales life easier, such as their hearing. Once they have the food, minke whales then swallow their food whole (Know, G.A., 2007). One of the biggest predatory threats to whales is actually other whales -- namely killer whales, or orcas. Whales are an amazing species that have evolved from land dwelling creatures millions of years ago (through ancestral blood lines) to the marine mammals we know today. Over the course of their evolution whales have made many adaptations towards their oceanic lifestyle so that they could survive and thrive in the underwater world. This blanket covers the entire body and is up to 30 cm (12 inches) thick in large whales, making up a significant portion of the animal’s weight. Over the time it took to evolve, they have made many adaptations. As echoes bounce back toward the sperm whale, they are received by this deposit of fat in the back of the whale's long, thin jaw. The largest whales (blue whales) can eat up to 4 tonnes of food a day in the Antarctic summer, they can feed for about 8 months and then fast for 4 months living off their fat reserves. That's why each of them gets its own branch on the family tree. Blue, Right, Sei, Fin, Grey, Humpback and Minke whales are all baleen whales. Diving for their prey requires a lot of adaptations. This tremendously important in mating season, while locating other whales from their pod or while hunting. This can vary between the 2 subspecies of minke whale. An adult minke whale can measure to 33ft and weigh 15 tons. 4) When it comes to food and how they obtain it, whale species have vastly different strategies. Whales are some of the biggest animals in the sea, but their massive size doesn't exclude them from predation.