Australasian Science: Australia's authority on science since 1938

Articles related to whales

Browse: Huge Tooth Reveals Prehistoric Moby Dick in Melbourne Browse: DNA Test for Humpback Age
Scientists have developed the first DNA-based test for estimating the age of humpback whales by examining age-related changes in the DNA of skin samples collected from live whales using biopsy darts.
Browse: Mother Whale’s Cultural Traditions Shape the Genetics of Offspring
A pygmy blue whale. Credit: research team
Feature: DNA Gives Hope to Blue Whales
Catherine Attard, Luciana Möller & Luciano Beheregaray
A DNA study has determined whether the low genetic diversity of Australia’s blue whales was caused by past natural events or recent whaling, and offered hope for their long-term survival.
Browse: Prehistoric Whale Fossil Reveals How Whales Evolved Baleen Eureka!: Dung Beetles Navigate Using the Milky Way
Magdeline Lum
Dung deetles navigate using the Milky Way, and scientists analyse a dead whale’s ear wax to reveal its exposure to hazardous chemicals.
Expert Opinion: The Persistent Killer of Killer Whales
AusSMC
Killer whales are at risk due to PCB contamination despite a near-global ban more than 30 years ago. The threat affects more than half of the world’s orcas, and whale populations near industrialised regions and at the top of the food-chain are at a high risk of population collapse over the next 100 years.