Rarest of whales washes up in NZ
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="spade">spade</span>-<span word="toothed">toothed</span> <span word="beaked">beaked</span> <span word="whale">whale</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="rare">rare</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="nobody">nobody</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="seen">seen</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="alive">alive</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="proof">proof</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="exists">exists</span>.</p><p><span word="Two">Two</span> <span word="skeletons">skeletons</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="identified">identified</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="belonging">belonging</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="a">a</span> 5.2-<span word="meter">meter</span> <span word="whale">whale</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="calf">calf</span> <span word="beached">beached</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Zealand">Zealand</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2010. <span word="Scientists">Scientists</span> <span word="hope">hope</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="discovery">discovery</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="provide">provide</span> <span word="insights">insights</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ocean">ocean</span> <span word="ecosystems">ecosystems</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="missed">missed</span> <span word="opportunity">opportunity</span>, <span word="however">however</span>, <span word="since">since</span> <span word="conservationists">conservationists</span> <span word="misidentified">misidentified</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="carcasses">carcasses</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="type">type</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="whale">whale</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="buried">buried</span> <span word="them">them</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="paper">paper</span> <span word="published">published</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Tuesday">Tuesday</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="journal">journal</span> <span word="Current">Current</span> <span word="Biology">Biology</span>, <span word="researchers">researchers</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Zealand">Zealand</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="discovery">discovery</span>: "<span word="For">For</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="description">description</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="rarest">rarest</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="enigmatic">enigmatic</span> <span word="marine">marine</span> <span word="mammal">mammal</span>."</p><p><span word="Previously">Previously</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="skull">skull</span> <span word="fragments">fragments</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="found">found</span> - <span word="in">in</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Zealand">Zealand</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1872 <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> 1950<span word="s">s</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="one">one</span> 26 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="island">island</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="Chile">Chile</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="males">males</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="broad">broad</span>, <span word="bladelike">bladelike</span>, <span word="tusk">tusk</span> <span word="teeth">teeth</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="name">name</span>. <span word="Both">Both</span> <span word="males">males</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="females">females</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="beaks">beaks</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="resemble">resemble</span> <span word="dolphins">dolphins</span>.</p><p>"<span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="pretty">pretty</span> <span word="fantastic">fantastic</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Ewan">Ewan</span> <span word="Fordyce">Fordyce</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="geology">geology</span> <span word="professor">professor</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Otago">Otago</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="specializes">specializes</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="evolution">evolution</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="whales">whales</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="involved">involved</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="research">research</span>. "<span word="There">There</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="few">few</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="any">any</span>, <span word="mammalian">mammalian</span> <span word="species">species</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="rarer">rarer</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="panda">panda</span> <span word="bears">bears</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="iconic">iconic</span>, <span word="rare">rare</span> <span word="animals">animals</span>."</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="beached">beached</span> <span word="whales">whales</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="adult">adult</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="her">her</span> 3.4-<span word="meter">meter</span> <span word="male">male</span> <span word="calf">calf</span>, <span word="were">were</span> <span word="discovered">discovered</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Opape">Opape</span> <span word="Beach">Beach</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="North">North</span> <span word="Island">Island</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Year">Year</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Eve">Eve</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2010.</p>
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