I want to explain how weird dolphins are...
In anticipation of being able to clean a dolphin skull I’ve been thinking a lot about how completely FUCKY dolphins and other cetaceans are anatomy wise… Like they are some of the strangest, most alien mammals out there. Specifically their skulls and heads.
So this is your typical dolphin, a smooth round head with a cute smiling beak. You would think their skulls would be shaped like their heads, that’s usually how skulls work. Something like this….
But In reality their skulls actually look like THIS flat alligator thing…
I’m sure you are thinking… “Where is the forehead”??? What if I told you that entire big lumpy forehead isn’t actually its “forehead” but rather something called a “melon” which is actually part of the NOSE or nasal apparatus.
Its essentially just a big gross fluid/jelly blob masquerading as a decent forehead. The melon has evolved as a way of amplifying and detecting vocalizations used in echolocation.
Other terrifying facts:
They have no ear holes, most sound is picked up by a combination of the melon and vibrations through the jaw bone.
They can’t breathe through their mouths. There is something called a laryngeal plug completely separates the respiratory and digestive tracts. Cetaceans have been known to drown if their blowhole is obstructed.
Their breathing is not automatic. They must constantly think and chose when to take breaths.
Sperm whales (Also cetaceans) are the loudest animals on earth. If you were to swim right next to their giant heads as they released a sonar pulse the shockwave could cause internal bleeding and nerve damage. Partially thanks to their giant “melon” amplifying and directing the pulse.
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