Ultra-rare whale washed up off Florida s Gulf Coast is a new species, scientists say
Zachary T. Sampson
The animal formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whale could need a new name.
The endangered whale may upon confirmation be an entirely new species, according to research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Scientists have long puzzled over the whales, with fewer than 100 estimated in existence, perhaps among the rarest in the world. Examination of a skeleton found off of Everglades National Park in 2019, which was later buried at Fort De Soto Park to decompose, has led to new clues.
Whales found in Gulf of Mexico might be a new species
Updated Jan 26, 2021;
Posted Jan 26, 2021
Researchers work to separate flesh from bone while harvesting the skeletal remains from a 38-foot baleen whale at Fort De Soto Park in 2009.TNS
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By Zachary T. Sampson Tampa Bay Times (TNS) and Tribune Media Services
The endangered whale may upon confirmation be an entirely new species, according to research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Scientists have long puzzled over the whales, with fewer than 100 estimated in existence, perhaps among the rarest in the world. Examination of a skeleton found off of Everglades National Park in 2019, which was later buried at Fort De Soto Park to decompose, has led to new clues.