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111-597: Supersaurus (meaning "super lizard") is a genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic period. The type species , S. vivianae , was first discovered by Vivian Jones of Delta, Colorado , in the middle Morrison Formation of Colorado in 1972. The fossil remains came from the Brushy Basin Member of the formation, dating between 153 to 145 million years ago. It

222-956: A fundamental frequency ranging from 8 to 25 Hz; their vocalizations may vary by region, season, behavior, and time of day. Orcas are their only natural predators. The blue whale was abundant in nearly all the Earth's oceans until the end of the 19th century. It was hunted almost to the point of extinction by whalers until the International Whaling Commission banned all blue whale hunting in 1966. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed blue whales as Endangered as of 2018. It continues to face numerous man-made threats such as ship strikes , pollution , ocean noise , and climate change . Scientists found evidence of this through morphological or epidemiological analysis. These analyses are accompanied by chemical profiles that use fecal and tissue which continue to prove

333-506: A 21 m (70 ft) pregnant female whale caught off Iceland in 1986 found that it had a blue whale mother and a fin whale father, while its fetus was sired by a blue whale. In 2024, a genome analysis of North Atlantic blue whales found evidence that approximately 3.5% of the blue whales' genome was derived from hybridization with fin whales. Gene flow was found to be unidirectional from fin whales to blue whales. Comparison with Antarctic blue whales showed that this hybridization began after

444-500: A 9-second-long, 27 Hz tone, and then a 1-second downsweep to 19 Hz, followed by a downsweep further to 18 Hz. Other vocalizations include 1–4 second long, frequency-modulated calls with a frequency of 80 and 38 Hz. There is evidence that some blue whale songs have temporally declined in tonal frequency. The vocalization of blue whales in the Eastern North Pacific decreased in tonal frequency by 31% from

555-569: A blue whale comes from Robert Sibbald 's Phalainologia Nova , after Sibbald found a stranded whale in the estuary of the Firth of Forth , Scotland, in 1692. The name "blue whale" was derived from the Norwegian blåhval , coined by Svend Foyn shortly after he had perfected the harpoon gun. The Norwegian scientist G. O. Sars adopted it as the common name in 1874. Blue whales were referred to as "Sibbald's rorqual", after Robert Sibbald, who first described

666-462: A calf thought to be nursing was filmed in New Zealand in 2016. Calves may be weaned when they reach 6–8 months old at a length of 16 meters (53 ft). They gain roughly 37,500 pounds (17,000 kg) during the weaning period. Interbirth periods last two to three years; they average 2.6 years in pygmy blue whales. Blue whales produce some of the loudest and lowest frequency vocalizations in

777-407: A genus is determined by taxonomists . The standards for genus classification are not strictly codified, so different authorities often produce different classifications for genera. There are some general practices used, however, including the idea that a newly defined genus should fulfill these three criteria to be descriptively useful: Moreover, genera should be composed of phylogenetic units of

888-598: A group of orcas harassing a blue whale in Monterey Bay . The blue whale defended itself by slapping its tail. A similar incident was recorded by a drone in Monterey Bay in May 2017. The first direct observations of orca predation occurred off the south coast of Western Australia, two in 2019 and one more in 2021. The first victim was estimated to be 18–22 meters (59–72 ft). In Antarctic waters, blue whales accumulate diatoms of

999-511: A large specimen of Brachiosaurus altithorax . The Brachiosaurus bones indicate a large, but not record-breaking individual, a little larger than the " Brachiosaurus" brancai ( Giraffatitan brancai ) mount in the Berlin's Natural History Museum . Originally, these Supersaurus and Brachiosaurus bones were believed to represent a single dinosaur that was estimated to reach about 25 to 30 meters (82 to 98 ft) long, 8 meters (26 ft) high at

1110-643: A later homonym of a validly published name is a nomen illegitimum or nom. illeg. ; for a full list refer to the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants and the work cited above by Hawksworth, 2010. In place of the "valid taxon" in zoology, the nearest equivalent in botany is " correct name " or "current name" which can, again, differ or change with alternative taxonomic treatments or new information that results in previously accepted genera being combined or split. Prokaryote and virus codes of nomenclature also exist which serve as

1221-621: A long time and redescribed as new by a range of subsequent workers, or if a range of genera previously considered separate taxa have subsequently been consolidated into one. For example, the World Register of Marine Species presently lists 8 genus-level synonyms for the sperm whale genus Physeter Linnaeus, 1758, and 13 for the bivalve genus Pecten O.F. Müller, 1776. Within the same kingdom, one generic name can apply to one genus only. However, many names have been assigned (usually unintentionally) to two or more different genera. For example,

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1332-400: A member of the subfamily Diplodocinae, however, with the assignment of the more complete WDC DMJ-021 most later studies found Supersaurus to be a close relative of the familiar Apatosaurus in the group Apatosaurinae. However, some later studies cast doubt on this paradigm. One comprehensive study of diplodocoid relationships published by Whitlock in 2011 found Apatosaurus itself to lie at

1443-431: A new name (in technical terms, his original choice was "preoccupied" by Kim's sauropod). In 1991, at his suggestion, George Olshevsky changed one letter, and renamed Jensen's sauropod Ultrasauros , with the final "o". When it was later discovered that the new name referred to bones from two separate, and already known species, the name Ultrasauros was considered invalid and became a junior synonym for Supersaurus . Since

1554-486: A part of oil and gas exploration. Blue whales in the Southern California Bight decreased calling in the presence of mid-frequency active (MFA) sonar . Exposure to simulated MFA sonar was found to interrupt blue whale deep-dive feeding but no changes in behavior were observed in individuals feeding at shallower depths. The responses also depended on the animal's behavioral state, its (horizontal) distance from

1665-685: A problem in Sri Lankan waters, where their habitat intersects with one of the world's most active shipping routes. Here, strikes caused the deaths of eleven blue whales in 2010 and 2012, and at least two in 2014. Ship-strike mortality claimed the lives of two blue whales off southern Chile in the 2010s. Possible measures for reducing future ship strikes include better predictive models of whale distribution, changes in shipping lanes, vessel speed reductions, and seasonal and dynamic management of shipping lanes. Few cases of blue whale entanglement in commercial fishing gear have been documented. The first report in

1776-409: A reference for designating currently accepted genus names as opposed to others which may be either reduced to synonymy, or, in the case of prokaryotes, relegated to a status of "names without standing in prokaryotic nomenclature". An available (zoological) or validly published (botanical) name that has been historically applied to a genus but is not regarded as the accepted (current/valid) name for

1887-403: A reproductive function. D calls may have multiple functions. They are produced by both sexes during social interactions while feeding. and by males when competing for mates. Blue whale calls recorded off Sri Lanka have a three-unit phrase. The first unit is a 19.8 to 43.5 Hz pulsive call, and is normally 17.9 ± 5.2 seconds long. The second unit is a 55.9 to 72.4 Hz FM upsweep that

1998-399: A separate population, and implies that they do not fall under the same subspecies as the pygmy blue whale ( B. m. brevicauda ). The blue whale is a slender-bodied cetacean with a broad U-shaped head; thin, elongated flippers ; a small 33 centimeters (13 in) sickle-shaped dorsal fin located close to the tail, and a large tail stock at the root of the wide and thin flukes . The upper jaw

2109-605: A similar time. Supersaurus is present in stratigraphic zone 5 of the Morrison, dating from the Tithonian . The original fossil remains of Supersaurus were discovered in the Dry Mesa Quarry in 1972. This find yielded only a few bones: mainly the shoulder girdle, an ischium , and tail vertebrae. Paleontologist James A. Jensen described Supersaurus ; he designated a scapulocoracoid BYU 9025 (originally labeled as BYU 5500) as

2220-453: A similarly gigantic animal because he confused a humerus for an ulna . While the logic of naming was incorrect, the Ultrasaurus from Kim's find fulfilled the requirements for naming and became regarded as a legitimate, if dubious genus. Thus, because Jensen did not publish his own "Ultrasaurus" find until 1985, Kim's use retained its official priority of name, and Jensen was forced to choose

2331-551: A single lunge. It is estimated that an average-sized blue whale must consume 1,120 ± 359 kilograms (2,469 ± 791 lb) of krill a day. In the southern ocean, blue whales feed on Antarctic krill ( Euphausia superba ). In the South Australia, pygmy blue whales ( B. m. brevicauda ) feeds on Nyctiphanes australis . In California, they feed mostly on Thysanoessa spinifera , but also less commonly on North pacific krill ( Euphausia pacifica ). Research of

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2442-427: A taxon; however, the names published in suppressed works are made unavailable via the relevant Opinion dealing with the work in question. In botany, similar concepts exist but with different labels. The botanical equivalent of zoology's "available name" is a validly published name . An invalidly published name is a nomen invalidum or nom. inval. ; a rejected name is a nomen rejiciendum or nom. rej. ;

2553-453: A third specimen potentially exceeding 40 meters (130 ft) in size. The WDC and BYU specimens are estimated to have weighed 35–44 metric tons (39–49 short tons) in body mass. A study in 2024 also found the Jimbo specimen to be skeletally mature at the time of its death and among the oldest known dinosaurs. While the result obtained was 225 years, the study strongly states that a value this high

2664-455: A total of c. 520,000 published names (including synonyms) as at end 2019, increasing at some 2,500 published generic names per year. "Official" registers of taxon names at all ranks, including genera, exist for a few groups only such as viruses and prokaryotes, while for others there are compendia with no "official" standing such as Index Fungorum for fungi, Index Nominum Algarum and AlgaeBase for algae, Index Nominum Genericorum and

2775-734: A worldwide distribution, but are mostly absent from the Arctic Ocean and the Mediterranean , Okhotsk , and Bering Sea . Blue whales off the Chilean coast might be a separate subspecies based on their geographic separation, genetics, and unique song types. Chilean blue whales might overlap in the Eastern Tropical Pacific with Antarctica blue whales and Eastern North Pacific blue whales. Chilean blue whales are genetically differentiated from Antarctica blue whales such that interbreeding

2886-468: Is 13.8 ± 1.1 seconds long. The final unit is 28.5 ± 1.6 seconds long with a tone of 108 to 104.7 Hz. A blue whale call recorded off Madagascar, a two-unit phrase, consists of 5–7 pulses with a center frequency of 35.1 ± 0.7 Hz lasting 4.4 ± 0.5 seconds proceeding a 35 ± 0 Hz tone that is 10.9 ± 1.1 seconds long. In the Southern Ocean, blue whales produce 18-second vocals which start with

2997-900: Is 22.0 meters (72.1 ft) for Eastern North Pacific blue whales, 24 meters (79 ft) for central and western North Pacific blue whales, 21–24 meters (68–78 ft) for North Atlantic blue whales, 25.4–26.3 meters (83.4–86.3 ft) for Antarctic blue whales, 23.5 meters (77.1 ft) for Chilean blue whales, and 21.3 meters (69.9 ft) for pygmy blue whales. In the Northern Hemisphere, males weigh an average 100 metric tons (220,000 lb) and females 112 metric tons (247,000 lb). Eastern North Pacific blue whale males average 88.5 tonnes (195,000 lb) and females 100 tonnes (220,000 lb). Antarctic males average 112 tonnes (247,000 lb) and females 130 tonnes (290,000 lb). Pygmy blue whale males average 83.5 tonnes (184,000 lb) to 99 tonnes (218,000 lb). The weight of

3108-489: Is among the longest dinosaurs ever discovered, with the three known specimens reaching 33–40 meters (108–131 ft) in length, with the largest individual possibly exceeding 40 meters (130 ft) in size. Mass estimates for the WDC and BYU specimens tend to be around 35–44 metric tons (39–49 short tons) in body mass. A potential second species, S. lourinhanensis ( Dinheirosaurus ), is known from Portugal and has been dated to

3219-596: Is discouraged by both the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants , there are some five thousand such names in use in more than one kingdom. For instance, A list of generic homonyms (with their authorities), including both available (validly published) and selected unavailable names, has been compiled by the Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera (IRMNG). The type genus forms

3330-634: Is estimated to be 5,000–15,000 mature individuals and 10,000–25,000 total as of 2018. By comparison, there were at least 140,000 mature whales in 1926. There are an estimated total of 1,000–3,000 whales in the North Atlantic, 3,000–5,000 in the North Pacific, and 5,000–8,000 in the Antarctic. There are possibly 1,000–3,000 whales in the eastern South Pacific while the pygmy blue whale may number 2,000–5,000 individuals. Blue whales have been protected in areas of

3441-410: Is evidence of alternative strategies, such as year-round residency, and partial (where only some individuals migrate) or age/sex-based migration. Some whales have been recorded feeding in breeding grounds. The traveling speed for blue whales ranges 5–30 kilometers per hour (3.1–18.6 mph). Their massive size limits their ability to breach . The greatest dive depth reported from tagged blue whales

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3552-414: Is extremely unlikely and more reflects the limitations of the methodology in calculating the age of exceptionally old individuals. The same study found the age of a 33 meters (108 ft) Diplodocus hallorum to be 60 years old, which makes it among the oldest known dinosaurs too, but considered the age of Jimbo to be even greater due to the extensive remodeling of the bone. In fact, the study suggests Jimbo

3663-457: Is lined with 70–395 black baleen plates. The throat region has 60–88 grooves which allows the skin to expand during feeding. It has two blowholes that can squirt 9.1–12.2 meters (30–40 ft) up in the air. The skin has a mottled grayish-blue coloration, appearing blue underwater. The mottling patterns near the dorsal fin vary between individuals. The underbelly has lighter pigmentation and can appear yellowish due to diatoms in

3774-430: Is not enough information on current abundance trends (e.g., pygmy blue whales), others are critically endangered (e.g., Antarctic blue whales). Blue whales were initially difficult to hunt because of their size and speed. This began to change in the mid-19th century with the development of harpoons that can be shot as projectiles. Blue whale whaling peaked between 1930 and 1931 with 30,000 animals taken. Harvesting of

3885-460: Is somewhat arbitrary. Although all species within a genus are supposed to be "similar", there are no objective criteria for grouping species into genera. There is much debate among zoologists about whether enormous, species-rich genera should be maintained, as it is extremely difficult to come up with identification keys or even character sets that distinguish all species. Hence, many taxonomists argue in favor of breaking down large genera. For instance,

3996-486: Is the largest animal known ever to have existed . The blue whale's long and slender body can be of various shades of greyish-blue on its upper surface and somewhat lighter underneath. Four subspecies are recognized: B. m. musculus in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, B. m. intermedia in the Southern Ocean, B. m. brevicauda (the pygmy blue whale ) in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, and B. m. indica in

4107-474: Is the type species , and the generic name is permanently associated with the type specimen of its type species. Should the specimen turn out to be assignable to another genus, the generic name linked to it becomes a junior synonym and the remaining taxa in the former genus need to be reassessed. In zoological usage, taxonomic names, including those of genera, are classified as "available" or "unavailable". Available names are those published in accordance with

4218-408: Is thus an indicator of age. The oldest blue whale found was determined, using this method, to be 110 years old. The maximum age of a pygmy blue whale determined this way is 73 years. In addition, female blue whales develop scars or corpora albicantia on their ovaries every time they ovulate. In a female pygmy blue whale, one corpus albicans is formed on average every 2.6 years. The blue whale

4329-457: Is unlikely. However, the genetic distinction is less between them and the Eastern North Pacific blue whale, hence there might be gene flow between the South and North hemispheres. A 2019 study by Luis Pastene, Jorge Acevedo and Trevor Branch provided new morphometric data from a survey of 60 Chilean blue whales, hoping to address the debate about the possible distinction of this population from others in

4440-402: Is usually solitary, but can be found in pairs. When productivity is high enough, blue whales can be seen in gatherings of more than 50 individuals. Populations may go on long migrations , traveling to their summer feeding grounds towards the poles and then heading to their winter breeding grounds in more equatorial waters. The animals appear to use memory to locate the best feeding areas. There

4551-702: The Endangered Species Act . Blue whales are formally classified as endangered under both the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the IUCN Red List . They are also listed on Appendix I under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals . Although, for some populations, there

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4662-621: The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ; the earliest such name for any taxon (for example, a genus) should then be selected as the " valid " (i.e., current or accepted) name for the taxon in question. Consequently, there will be more available names than valid names at any point in time; which names are currently in use depending on the judgement of taxonomists in either combining taxa described under multiple names, or splitting taxa which may bring available names previously treated as synonyms back into use. "Unavailable" names in zoology comprise names that either were not published according to

4773-799: The International Plant Names Index for plants in general, and ferns through angiosperms, respectively, and Nomenclator Zoologicus and the Index to Organism Names for zoological names. Totals for both "all names" and estimates for "accepted names" as held in the Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera (IRMNG) are broken down further in the publication by Rees et al., 2020 cited above. The accepted names estimates are as follows, broken down by kingdom: The cited ranges of uncertainty arise because IRMNG lists "uncertain" names (not researched therein) in addition to known "accepted" names;

4884-464: The Last Glacial Maximum . Their more recent divergence has resulted in the subspecies having a relatively low genetic diversity, and New Zealand blue whales have an even lower genetic diversity. Whole genome sequencing suggests that blue whales are most closely related to sei whales with gray whales as a sister group . This study also found significant gene flow between minke whales and

4995-495: The Southern Ocean , baleen whales appear to feed on Antarctic krill of different sizes, which may lessen competition between them. Blue whale feeding habits may differ due to situational disturbances, like environmental shifts or human interference. This can cause a change in diet due to stress response. Due to these changing situations, there was a study preformed on Blue whales measuring Cortisol levels and comparing them with

5106-419: The nomenclature codes , which allow each species a single unique name that, for animals (including protists ), plants (also including algae and fungi ) and prokaryotes ( bacteria and archaea ), is Latin and binomial in form; this contrasts with common or vernacular names , which are non-standardized, can be non-unique, and typically also vary by country and language of usage. Except for viruses ,

5217-404: The platypus belongs to the genus Ornithorhynchus although George Shaw named it Platypus in 1799 (these two names are thus synonyms ) . However, the name Platypus had already been given to a group of ambrosia beetles by Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst in 1793. A name that means two different things is a homonym . Since beetles and platypuses are both members of the kingdom Animalia,

5328-484: The type specimen . This shoulder girdle stood some 2.4 meters (7.9 ft) tall, if placed on end. The specimen was given the name "Supersaurus" informally as early as 1973, but was not officially described and named until more than a decade later, in 1985. Sauropod researcher Jack McIntosh at one time thought that the BYU Supersaurus material might represent a large species of Barosaurus but later felt that there

5439-480: The 1970s. Ship strikes are a significant mortality factor for blue whales, especially off the U.S. West Coast . A total of 17 blue whales were killed or suspected to have been killed by ships between 1998 and 2019 off the U.S. West Coast. Five deaths in 2007 off California were considered an unusual mortality event, as defined under the Marine Mammal Protection Act . Lethal ship strikes are also

5550-493: The Eastern North Pacific population shows that when diving to feed on krill, the whales reach an average depth of 201 meters, with dives lasting 9.8 minutes on average. While most blue whales feed almost exclusively on krill, the Northern Indian Ocean subspecies ( B. m. indica ) instead feeds predominantly on sergestid shrimp. To do so, they dive deeper and for longer periods of time than blue whales in other regions of

5661-588: The Northern Indian Ocean. There is a population in the waters off Chile that may constitute a fifth subspecies. In general, blue whale populations migrate between their summer feeding areas near the poles and their winter breeding grounds near the tropics. There is also evidence of year-round residencies, and partial or age/sex-based migration. Blue whales are filter feeders ; their diet consists almost exclusively of krill . They are generally solitary or gather in small groups, and have no well-defined social structure other than mother–calf bonds. Blue whales vocalize, with

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5772-641: The Southern Hemisphere since 1939. In 1955, they were given complete protection in the North Atlantic under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling ; this protection was extended to the Antarctic in 1965 and the North Pacific in 1966. The protected status of North Atlantic blue whales was not recognized by Iceland until 1960. In the United States, the species is protected under

5883-429: The U.S. occurred off California in 2015, reportedly some type of deep-water trap/pot fishery. Three more entanglement cases were reported in 2016. In Sri Lanka, a blue whale was documented with a net wrapped through its mouth, along the sides of its body, and wound around its tail. Increasing man-made underwater noise impacts blue whales. They may be exposed to noise from commercial shipping and seismic surveys as

5994-891: The age of sexual maturity. Little is known about mating behavior, or breeding and birthing areas. Blue whales appear to be polygynous , with males competing for females. A male blue whale typically trails a female and will fight off potential rivals. The species mates from fall to winter. Pregnant females eat roughly four percent of their body weight daily, amounting to 60% of their overall body weight throughout summer foraging periods. Gestation may last 10–12 months with calves being 6–7 meters (20–23 ft) long and weighing 2–3 metric tons (2.0–3.0 long tons; 2.2–3.3 short tons) at birth. Estimates suggest that because calves require 2–4 kilograms (4.4–8.8 lb) milk per kg of mass gain, blue whales likely produce 220 kilograms (490 lb) of milk per day (ranging from 110 to 320 kilograms (240 to 710 lb) of milk per day). The first video of

6105-418: The ancestors of the blue and sei whale. Blue whales also displayed high genetic diversity. Blue whales are known to interbreed with fin whales . The earliest description of a possible hybrid between a blue whale and a fin whale was a 20 m (66 ft) anomalous female whale with the features of both the blue and the fin whales taken in the North Pacific. A whale captured off northwestern Spain in 1984,

6216-576: The animal kingdom, and their inner ears appear well adapted for detecting low-frequency sounds. The fundamental frequency for blue whale vocalizations ranges from 8 to 25 Hz. Blue whale songs vary between populations. Vocalizations produced by the Eastern North Pacific population have been well studied. This population produces pulsed calls ("A") and tonal calls ("B"), upswept tones that precede type B calls ("C") and separate downswept tones ("D"). A and B calls are often produced in repeated co-occurring sequences and sung only by males, suggesting

6327-442: The base for higher taxonomic ranks, such as the family name Canidae ("Canids") based on Canis . However, this does not typically ascend more than one or two levels: the order to which dogs and wolves belong is Carnivora ("Carnivores"). The numbers of either accepted, or all published genus names is not known precisely; Rees et al., 2020 estimate that approximately 310,000 accepted names (valid taxa) may exist, out of

6438-1064: The base of the diplodocid family tree, and other "apatosaurines", including Supersaurus , to be progressively more closely related to Diplodocus (making them diplodocines). In 2015, a specimen-level phylogenetic study of diplodocids found that Dinheirosaurus lourinhanensis grouped with Supersaurus . The study considered that it should be a new species of Supersaurus , in a new combination S. lourinhanensis . Amphicoelias altus Unnamed species Apatosaurus ajax Apatosaurus louisae Brontosaurus excelsus Brontosaurus yahnahpin Brontosaurus parvus Unnamed species Tornieria africana Supersaurus lourinhanensis Supersaurus vivianae Leinkupal laticauda Galeamopus hayi Diplodocus carnegii Diplodocus hallorum Kaatedocus siberi Barosaurus lentus [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Genus The composition of

6549-567: The basis of additional specimens. Michael Benton also agreed with the reclassification, giving the Supersaurus BYU 9024 specimen an approximate length of up to an impressive 50 metres (160 ft), which would have made it the longest animal to ever live. The assignment of the more complete specimen, WDC DMJ-021, to Supersaurus suggests that in most respects it was very similar in anatomy to Apatosaurus but less robustly built with especially elongated cervical vertebrae, resulting in one of

6660-435: The blubber to feed on. Intestinal parasites include the trematode genera Ogmogaster and Lecithodesmus ; the tapeworm genera Priapocephalus , Phyllobotrium , Tetrabothrius , Diphyllobotrium , and Diplogonoporus ; and the thorny-headed worm genus Bolbosoma . In the North Atlantic, blue whales also contain the protozoans Entamoeba , Giardia and Balantidium . The global blue whale population

6771-450: The blue whale in size, with Perucetus also being heavier than the blue whale with a mean weight of 180 t (180 long tons; 200 short tons). These estimates are based on fragmentary remains, and the proposed size for the latter has been disputed in 2024. Other studies estimate that on land, large sauropods like Bruhathkayosaurus (mean weight: 110–170 tons) and Maraapunisaurus (mean weight: 80–120 tons) would have easily rivalled

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6882-431: The blue whale, with the former even exceeding the blue whale based on its most liberal estimations (240 tons), although these estimates are based on even more fragmentary specimens that had disintegrated by the time those estimates were made. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) whaling database reports 88 individuals longer than 30 meters (98 ft), including one of 33 meters (108 ft), but problems with how

6993-408: The developmental phases, the fetus is located where the embryonic and fetal phases converge. This fetus is the youngest gestational age of the specimen recorded. Blue whales live around 80–90 years or more. Scientists look at a blue whale's earwax or ear plug to estimate its age. Each year, a light and dark layer of wax is laid corresponding with fasting during migration and feeding time. Each set

7104-402: The discovery of another gigantic sauropod, which would later be named "Ultrasaurus" macintoshi (later renamed Ultrasauros macintoshi ). The type specimen (the specimen used to define a new species ) of Ultrasauros , being a backbone (dorsal vertebra , labeled BYU 9044), was later found to have come from Supersaurus . In fact, it probably belonged to the original Supersaurus specimen, which

7215-411: The early 1960s to the early 21st century. The frequency of pygmy blue whales in the Antarctic has decreased by a few tenths of a hertz every year starting in 2002. It is possible that as blue whale populations recover from whaling, there is increasing sexual selection pressure (i.e., a lower frequency indicates a larger body size). The only known natural predator to blue whales is the orca , although

7326-574: The family Balaenopteridae . A 2018 analysis estimates that the Balaenopteridae family diverged from other families in between 10.48 and 4.98 million years ago during the late Miocene . The earliest discovered anatomically modern blue whale is a partial skull fossil from southern Italy identified as B. cf. musculus , dating to the Early Pleistocene , roughly 1.5–1.25 million years ago. The Australian pygmy blue whale diverged during

7437-446: The form "author, year" in zoology, and "standard abbreviated author name" in botany. Thus in the examples above, the genus Canis would be cited in full as " Canis Linnaeus, 1758" (zoological usage), while Hibiscus , also first established by Linnaeus but in 1753, is simply " Hibiscus L." (botanical usage). Each genus should have a designated type , although in practice there is a backlog of older names without one. In zoology, this

7548-727: The generic name (or its abbreviated form) still forms the leading portion of the scientific name, for example, Canis lupus lupus for the Eurasian wolf subspecies, or as a botanical example, Hibiscus arnottianus ssp. immaculatus . Also, as visible in the above examples, the Latinised portions of the scientific names of genera and their included species (and infraspecies, where applicable) are, by convention, written in italics . The scientific names of virus species are descriptive, not binomial in form, and may or may not incorporate an indication of their containing genus; for example,

7659-415: The harvest of a female blue whale, Messrs. Irvin and Johnson collected a fetus that is now 70% preserved and used for educational purposes. The fetus was collected in 1922, so some shrinkage may have occurred, making visualization of some features fairly difficult. However, due to this collection researchers now know that the external anatomy of a Blue whale fetus is approximately 133 mm. Along with during

7770-507: The heart of a stranded North Atlantic blue whale was 180 kg (400 lb), the largest known in any animal. The record-holder blue whale was recorded at 173 tonnes (190 short tons ), with estimates of up to 199 tonnes (220 short tons ). In 2024, Motani and Pyenson calculated the body mass of blue whales at different lengths, compiling records of their sizes from previous academic literatures and using regression analyses and volumetric analyses. A 25 metres (82 ft) long individual

7881-483: The holotype of the Ultrasaurus was a dorsal vertebrae of the Supersaurus , so Ultrasauros is not a junior synonym for Brachiosaurus . The name Supersaurus was kept instead of Ultrasaurus as the animal is a diplodocid and Ultrasaurus had always referred to a brachiosaurid. Another diplodocid dinosaur found near the original Supersaurus quarry, known from a backbone (dorsal vertebra type specimen BYU 5750),

7992-461: The impact of man-made threats. However, researchers will be able to know more when lifetime chemical profiles are accessible. The genus name, Balaenoptera , means winged whale, while the species name, musculus , could mean "muscle" or a diminutive form of "mouse", possibly a pun by Carl Linnaeus when he named the species in Systema Naturae . One of the first published descriptions of

8103-472: The injured whale escaped after five hours. Four more blue whales were documented as being chased by a group of orcas between 1982 and 2003. The first documented predation event by orcas occurred in September 2003, when a group of orcas in the Eastern Tropical Pacific was encountered feeding on a recently killed blue whale calf. In March 2014, a commercial whale watch boat operator recorded an incident involving

8214-628: The largest component, with 23,236 ± 5,379 accepted genus names, of which 20,845 ± 4,494 are angiosperms (superclass Angiospermae). By comparison, the 2018 annual edition of the Catalogue of Life (estimated >90% complete, for extant species in the main) contains currently 175,363 "accepted" genus names for 1,744,204 living and 59,284 extinct species, also including genus names only (no species) for some groups. The number of species in genera varies considerably among taxonomic groups. For instance, among (non-avian) reptiles , which have about 1180 genera,

8325-666: The levels of stressed individuals, it gave a closer look to the reasoning behind their diet and behavioral changes. Blue whales generally reach sexual maturity at 8–10 years. In the Northern Hemisphere, the length at which they reach maturity is 21–23 meters (69–75 ft) for females and 20–21 meters (66–69 ft) for males. In the Southern Hemisphere, the length of maturity is 23–24 meters (75–79 ft) and 22 meters (72 ft) for females and males respectively. Male pygmy blue whales average 18.7 meters (61.4 ft) at sexual maturity. Female pygmy blue whales are 21.0–21.7 meters (68.9–71.2 ft) in length and roughly 10 years old at

8436-410: The lizard genus Anolis has been suggested to be broken down into 8 or so different genera which would bring its ~400 species to smaller, more manageable subsets. Blue whale The blue whale ( Balaenoptera musculus ) is a marine mammal and a baleen whale . Reaching a maximum confirmed length of 29.9 m (98 ft) and weighing up to 199 t (196 long tons; 219 short tons), it

8547-441: The longest-known sauropod necks. Most studies of diplodocid relationships have found it to contain two primary subgroups: Diplodocinae (containing those diplodocids more closely related to Diplodocus than to Apatosaurus ) and Apatosaurinae (diplodocids more closely related to Apatosaurus than to Diplodocus ). Originally, it was thought that Supersaurus was related to the long-necked diplodocid Barosaurus , and therefore

8658-520: The measurements were taken suggest that any longer than 30.5 meters (100 ft) are suspect. The Discovery Committee reported lengths up to 31 meters (102 ft). The longest scientifically measured individual blue whale was 30 meters (98 ft) from rostrum tip to tail notch. Female blue whales are larger than males. Hydrodynamic models suggest a blue whale could not exceed 33 metres (108 ft) because of metabolic and energy constraints. The average length of sexually mature female blue whales

8769-403: The most (>300) have only 1 species, ~360 have between 2 and 4 species, 260 have 5–10 species, ~200 have 11–50 species, and only 27 genera have more than 50 species. However, some insect genera such as the bee genera Lasioglossum and Andrena have over 1000 species each. The largest flowering plant genus, Astragalus , contains over 3,000 species. Which species are assigned to a genus

8880-428: The name could not be used for both. Johann Friedrich Blumenbach published the replacement name Ornithorhynchus in 1800. However, a genus in one kingdom is allowed to bear a scientific name that is in use as a generic name (or the name of a taxon in another rank) in a kingdom that is governed by a different nomenclature code. Names with the same form but applying to different taxa are called "homonyms". Although this

8991-526: The provisions of the ICZN Code, e.g., incorrect original or subsequent spellings, names published only in a thesis, and generic names published after 1930 with no type species indicated. According to "Glossary" section of the zoological Code, suppressed names (per published "Opinions" of the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature) remain available but cannot be used as the valid name for

9102-702: The rate of fatal attacks by orcas is unknown. Photograph-identification studies of blue whales have estimated that a high proportion of the individuals in the Gulf of California have rake-like scars, indicative of encounters with orcas. Off southeastern Australia , 3.7% of blue whales photographed had rake marks and 42.1% of photographed pygmy blue whales off Western Australia had rake marks. Documented predation by orcas has been rare. A blue whale mother and calf were first observed being chased at high speeds by orcas off southeastern Australia. The first documented attack occurred in 1977 off southwestern Baja California, Mexico , but

9213-511: The results are pending independent testing and verification of the samples. Because the International Whaling Commission classified blue whales as a "Protection Stock", trading their meat is illegal, and the kill is an infraction that must be reported. Blue-fin hybrids have been detected from genetic analysis of whale meat samples taken from Japanese markets. Blue-fin whale hybrids are capable of being fertile. Molecular tests on

9324-466: The same kind as other (analogous) genera. The term "genus" comes from Latin genus , a noun form cognate with gignere ('to bear; to give birth to'). The Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus popularized its use in his 1753 Species Plantarum , but the French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656–1708) is considered "the founder of the modern concept of genera". The scientific name (or

9435-408: The scientific epithet) of a genus is also called the generic name ; in modern style guides and science, it is always capitalised. It plays a fundamental role in binomial nomenclature , the system of naming organisms , where it is combined with the scientific name of a species : see Botanical name and Specific name (zoology) . The rules for the scientific names of organisms are laid down in

9546-554: The separation of the northern and southern populations. Despite their smaller size, fin whales have similar cruising and sprinting speeds to blue whales, which would allow fin males to complete courtship chases with blue females. There is a reference to a humpback–blue whale hybrid in the South Pacific , attributed to marine biologist Michael Poole. At least four subspecies of blue whale are recognized, some of which are divided into population stocks or "management units". They have

9657-409: The shoulder, 15 meters (49 ft) in total height, and weighing maybe 70 t (77 short tons). At the time, mass estimates ranged up to 180 tons, which placed it in the same category as the blue whale and the equally problematic Bruhathkayosaurus . The naming of the chimeric Ultrasauros has a similarly complicated history. Ultrasaurus (with the final "u") was the original choice, and

9768-561: The skeleton. Its bones are being held at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center . A comparison of WDC DMJ-021 and other specimens previously assigned to Supersaurus was done in order to help decide what material from the Dry Mesa Quarry belonged to the genus. It indicated that a series of tail vertebrae and an ulna may have belonged to some other diplodocid. Jensen, who described the original Supersaurus specimen, simultaneously reported

9879-504: The sound source and the availability of prey. The potential impacts of pollutants on blue whales is unknown. However, because blue whales feed low on the food chain , there is a lesser chance for bioaccumulation of organic chemical contaminants. Analysis of the earwax of a male blue whale killed by a collision with a ship off the coast of California showed contaminants like pesticides, flame retardants, and mercury. Reconstructed persistent organic pollutant (POP) profiles suggested that

9990-526: The southern hemisphere. Data from this study, based on whales collected in the 1965/1966 whaling season, shows that both the maximum and mean body length of Chilean blue whales lies between these values in pygmy and Antarctic blue whales. Data also indicates a potential difference in snout-eye measurements between the three, and a significant difference in fluke-anus length between the Chilean population and pygmy blue whales. This further confirms Chilean blue whales as

10101-498: The species Cocconeis ceticola and the genera Navicola , which are normally removed when the whales enter warmer waters. Other external parasites include barnacles such as Coronula diadema , Coronula reginae , and Cryptolepas rhachianecti , which latch on their skin deep enough to leave behind a pit if removed. Whale lice species make their home in cracks of the skin and are relatively harmless. The copepod species Pennella balaenopterae digs in and attaches itself to

10212-523: The species was particularly high in the Antarctic, with 350,000–360,000 whales taken in the first half of the 20th century. In addition, 11,000 North Atlantic whales (mostly around Iceland) and 9,500 North Pacific whales were killed during the same period. The International Whaling Commission banned all hunting of blue whales in 1966 and gave them worldwide protection. However, the Soviet Union continued to illegally hunt blue whales and other species up until

10323-473: The species. The first described specimens of Supersaurus were individual bones that suggested a large diplodocid. A large cervical vertebra BYU 9024 from the same quarry was later assigned to Supersaurus .. This vertebra measures 1.38 m (4.5 ft) in length and is the longest cervical known. This enormous vertebra was reclassified as a Barosaurus vertebra, by Mike Taylor and Matt Wedel . However Brian Curtice has reassigned it to Supersaurus on

10434-517: The species. Whalers sometimes referred to them as "sulphur bottom" whales, as the bellies of some individuals are tinged with yellow. This tinge is due to a coating of huge numbers of diatoms . ( Herman Melville briefly refers to "sulphur bottom" whales in his novel Moby-Dick . ) Minke whale B. musculus ( blue whale ) B. borealis ( sei whale ) Eschrichtius robustus ( gray whale ) B. physalus ( fin whale ) Megaptera novaeangliae ( humpback whale ) Blue whales are rorquals in

10545-497: The specific name particular to the wolf. A botanical example would be Hibiscus arnottianus , a particular species of the genus Hibiscus native to Hawaii. The specific name is written in lower-case and may be followed by subspecies names in zoology or a variety of infraspecific names in botany . When the generic name is already known from context, it may be shortened to its initial letter, for example, C. lupus in place of Canis lupus . Where species are further subdivided,

10656-412: The standard format for a species name comprises the generic name, indicating the genus to which the species belongs, followed by the specific epithet, which (within that genus) is unique to the species. For example, the gray wolf 's scientific name is Canis lupus , with Canis ( Latin for 'dog') being the generic name shared by the wolf's close relatives and lupus (Latin for 'wolf') being

10767-403: The taxon is termed a synonym ; some authors also include unavailable names in lists of synonyms as well as available names, such as misspellings, names previously published without fulfilling all of the requirements of the relevant nomenclatural code, and rejected or suppressed names. A particular genus name may have zero to many synonyms, the latter case generally if the genus has been known for

10878-551: The thickest patches. This provides them enough energy for everyday activities while storing additional energy necessary for migration and reproduction. Due to their size, Blue whales have larger energetic demands than most animals resulting in their need for this specific feeding habit. Blue whales have to engulf densities greater than 100 krill/m to maintain the cost of lunge feeding. They can consume 34,776–1,912,680 kilojoules (8,312–457,141 kcal) from one mouthful of krill, which can provide up to 240 times more energy than used in

10989-566: The values quoted are the mean of "accepted" names alone (all "uncertain" names treated as unaccepted) and "accepted + uncertain" names (all "uncertain" names treated as accepted), with the associated range of uncertainty indicating these two extremes. Within Animalia, the largest phylum is Arthropoda , with 151,697 ± 33,160 accepted genus names, of which 114,387 ± 27,654 are insects (class Insecta). Within Plantae, Tracheophyta (vascular plants) make up

11100-429: The virus species " Salmonid herpesvirus 1 ", " Salmonid herpesvirus 2 " and " Salmonid herpesvirus 3 " are all within the genus Salmonivirus ; however, the genus to which the species with the formal names " Everglades virus " and " Ross River virus " are assigned is Alphavirus . As with scientific names at other ranks, in all groups other than viruses, names of genera may be cited with their authorities, typically in

11211-399: The water out through their baleen plates with pressure from the throat pouch and tongue, and swallow the remaining krill. Blue whales have been recorded making 180° rolls during lunge-feeding, possibly allowing them to search the prey field and find the densest patches. While pursuing krill patches, blue whales maximize their calorie intake by increasing the number of lunges while selecting

11322-414: The water, which historically earned them the nickname "sulphur bottom". The male blue whale has the largest penis in the animal kingdom, at around 3 m (9.8 ft) long and 12 in (30 cm) wide. The blue whale is the largest animal known ever to have existed. Some studies have estimated that certain shastasaurid ichthyosaurs and the ancient whale Perucetus could have rivalled

11433-411: The world, with dives of 10.7 minutes on average, and a hypothesized dive depth of about 300 meters. Fecal analysis also found the presence of fish, krill, amphipods , cephalopods , and scyphozoan jellyfish in their diet. Blue whales appear to avoid directly competing with other baleen whales. Different whale species select different feeding spaces and times as well as different prey species. In

11544-689: Was 315 meters (1,033 ft). Their theoretical aerobic dive limit was estimated at 31.2 minutes, however, the longest dive measured was 15.2 minutes. The deepest confirmed dive from a pygmy blue whale was 506 meters (1,660 ft). A blue whale's heart rate can drop to 2 beats per minute (bpm) at deep depths, but upon surfacing, can rise to 37 bpm, which is close to its peak heart rate. The blue whale's diet consists almost exclusively of krill . Blue whales capture krill through lunge feeding; they swim towards them at high speeds as they open their mouths up to 80°. They may engulf 220 metric tons (220 long tons; 240 short tons) of water at one time. They squeeze

11655-412: Was discovered in the same quarry in 1972. Therefore, Ultrasauros became a junior synonym of Supersaurus , which had been named first and thus retains priority, and the name Ultrasauros was abandoned. Other bones that were found at the same location and originally thought to belong to Ultrasauros , like a shoulder girdle ( scapulocoracoid , BYU 9462), actually belonged to Brachiosaurus , possibly

11766-403: Was estimated to weigh approximately 101–119 tonnes (111–131 short tons), while a 30 metres (98 ft) long individual was estimated to weigh approximately 184–205 tonnes (203–226 short tons). Considering that the largest blue whale was indeed 33 metres (108 ft) long, they estimated that a blue whale of such length would have weighed approximately 252–273 tonnes (278–301 short tons). During

11877-501: Was evidence for Supersaurus being a valid genus. A much more complete specimen WDC DMJ-021, was found in Converse County , Wyoming in 1986 by Brandon Flyr and Bart Lesco while out hiking and was reported to the people who owned the land at the time. The discovery was later named "Jimbo" in 1996 by the family that purchased the land, it was described and assigned to Supersaurus in 2007. The specimen represented approximately 30% of

11988-657: Was found to have been the product of a blue whale mother and a fin whale father. Two live blue-fin whale hybrids have since been documented in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada), and in the Azores (Portugal). DNA tests done in Iceland on a blue whale killed in July 2018 by the Icelandic whaling company Hvalur hf, found that the whale was the offspring of a male fin whale and female blue whale; however,

12099-488: Was named Dystylosaurus edwini and is now also considered to be a specimen of Supersaurus vivianae . Hence, Dystylosaurus has also become a junior synonym of Supersaurus . Supersaurus is among the largest dinosaurs known from good remains and quite possibly the longest discovered thus far, with the WDC specimen reaching 33–36 meters (108–118 ft) in length, the BYU specimen reaching perhaps 39 meters (128 ft) and

12210-470: Was so old that its exact age cannot be reliably calculated by the applied methodology. Thus, despite the lack of a truly reliable age value, the Jimbo specimen of Supersaurus can be considered as possibly the oldest dinosaur known thus far. The study also suggests that, due to Jimbo's skeletal maturity, the size range displayed by the three known Supersaurus specimens, which ranges from 33–40 meters (108–131 ft), can be considered an average adult size for

12321-512: Was widely used by the media after the discovery in 1979. However, the name of a new species must be published with a description to become official. Before Jim Jensen published his discovery in 1985, another paleontologist, Kim Haang Mook, used the name Ultrasaurus in a 1983 publication to describe what he believed was a giant dinosaur in South Korea . This was a different, much smaller dinosaur than Jensen's find, but Kim thought it represented

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