orca

Orcas: Fossil hints that killing whales is a recent adaptation

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A 1.4-million-year-old fossil relative of killer whales had teeth that suggest it ate small fish rather than large marine mammals Life 7 March 2022 By Christa Lesté-Lasserre Artistic reconstruction of Rododelphis stamatiadisi Rossella Faleni A 1.4-million-year-old ancestor of orcas and false killer whales seems to have dined on small fish – which suggests its descendants … Read more

Watch an Orca Pod Free a Humpback Whale From a Coil of Rope, Possibly Saving Its Life

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In a strange encounter off the coast of western Australia, a pod of orcas seems to free a humpback whale from a rope entangling its tail. But were they really trying to rescue it?   It isn’t clear whether the orcas (Orcinus orca) were trying to manipulate the rope or why they approached the humpback in the … Read more

Orcas: Marine mammals are spreading further into the Arctic Ocean as sea ice melts

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Orcas – also known as killer whales – used to be unusual visitors to the Arctic Ocean off Alaska, but they are becoming more common there, which might be bad news for local ecosystems Life 2 December 2021 By Chen Ly Orcas in Prince William Sound near Alaska Calvin W. Hall/Design Pics Inc/Alamy Orcas are … Read more