Evolution: Killer whale bites and appetites

Annalisa Berta; Sarah S Kienle; Agnese Lanzetti

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.03.001

Evolution: Killer whale bites and appetites

Curr Biol. 2022 Apr 25;32(8):R375-R377. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.03.001.

Authors

Annalisa Berta¹, Sarah S Kienle², Agnese Lanzetti³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA. Electronic address: aberta@sdsu.edu.
² Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA.
³ Division of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK.

PMID: 35472428
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.03.001

Abstract

A newly discovered fossil dolphin shows that modern killer and false-killer whales evolved from fish-eating ancestors. While today both species occasionally feed on large warm-blooded prey, including seals and other whales, this diet specialization has evolved only recently.

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MeSH terms

Animals
Appetite
Diet
Seals, Earless*
Whale, Killer*
Whales