New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Erupted upper teeth in a male sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus

NADINE J. GIBBS
EDWIN J. KIRK

Comparative Physiology and Anatomy
Institute of Veterinary, Animal  and Biomedical Sciences
College of Sciences, Massey University
Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North
New Zealand

Abstract  An adult male sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus L.) which stranded in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, was found to have seven erupted teeth in its upper jaw--six on the left side, and one on the right side. Each upper tooth lay in the side of the pit into which the corresponding lower tooth fitted, and two bore a groove consistent with contact with a lower tooth.

Keywords  Physeter macrocephalus; upper teeth; sperm whale; New Zealand

M99045

Received 28 July 1999; accepted 5 December 2000

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2001, Vol. 35: 325-327

0028-8330/01/3502-0325 $7.00 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 2001

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (572K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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