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They may be numerous, with some dolphins bearing over 100 teeth in their jaws. At the other extreme are the narwhals with their single long tusks and the almost toothless beaked whales with tusk-like teeth only in males. [20] In most beaked whales the teeth are seen to erupt in the lower jaw, and primarily occurs at the males sexual maturity. [21]
The family Balaenidae, the right whales, contains two genera and four species. All right whales have no ventral grooves; a distinctive head shape with a strongly arched, narrow rostrum, bowed lower jaw; lower lips that enfold the sides and front of the rostrum; and long, narrow, elastic baleen plates (up to nine times longer than wide) with fine baleen fringes.
Both species are relatively small whales, 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft) in length, with a forehead melon, and a short or absent snout. Premaxillary teeth are absent. [1] They do not have a true dorsal fin, but do have a narrow ridge running along the back, which is much more pronounced in the narwhal.
Articles relating to the toothed whales (odontocetes, parvorder Odontocetiare), a parvorder of cetaceans that includes dolphins, porpoises, and all other whales possessing teeth, such as the beaked whales and the sperm whales. 73 species of toothed whales are described.
Generally their teeth have evolved to catch fish, squid or other marine invertebrates, not for chewing them, so prey is swallowed whole. Teeth are shaped like cones (dolphins and sperm whales), spades , pegs , tusks or variable (beaked whale males). Female beaked whales' teeth are hidden in the gums and are not visible, and most male beaked ...
[33] [34] [4] The Baird's and Arnoux's beaked whales are the only whales in the Ziphiidae family where both sexes have erupted teeth. [35] The teeth in the Ziphiidae are presumed to be used by the males for fighting and competition for females. Ziphiidae has the most prevalent and pronounced markings caused by teeth scaring among the cetaceans ...
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Both whales reach similar sizes, have bulbous melons, and long prominent beaks. Their lower jaw is longer than the upper, and once sexual maturity is reached the front teeth are visible even when the mouth is fully closed. [6] [7] The Baird's and Arnoux's beaked whales are the only whales in the Ziphiidae family where both sexes have erupted ...