What is similar to a whale?
Whales, dolphins and porpoises belong to the order Cetartiodactyla, which consists of even-toed ungulates. Their closest non-cetacean living relatives are the hippopotamuses, from which they and other cetaceans diverged about 54 million years ago.
What is smaller than a whale?
The smallest plankton (a single-celled alga, Micromonas pusilla) is some 19 billion times smaller than the largest whale (the Blue Whale, Balaenoptera musculus)….A Matter of Scale.
| Animal | Claim to Fame | Logarithm of Mass |
|---|---|---|
| Rotifer (Phylum Rotifera) | Smallest Multicelled Creature | -8.22 |
Can whales stay under the water for more than an hour?
The average whale can hold its breath for about 60 minutes. The Sperm whale can hold its breath longer than the average whale, for about 90 minutes. The whale that can hold its breath the longest, however, is the Curved Beak Whale, who can take long dives underwater for about 138 minutes!
What is the closest relative to a whale?
hippopotamus
Furthermore, the DNA testing revealed that whales share a DNA sequence found only in one other animal – indicating that among all the non-whale mammals alive today, whales’ closest living relatives are none other than hippopotamus!
Did hippos evolve whales?
Hippos are the closest living relatives of whales, but they are not the ancestors of whales. Both hippos and whales evolved from four-legged, even-toed, hoofed (ungulate) ancestors that lived on land about 50 million years ago. Modern-day ungulates include hippopotamus, giraffe, deer, pig and cow.
Are there mini whales?
With lengths ranging from 13 to 20 feet, the beluga or white whale is much smaller than many other marine mammals. Its size makes the species one of the smallest whales in the world.
Which mammal can stay underwater the longest?
beaked whale
What mammal can hold its breath underwater the longest? In 2014, the Curvier beaked whale broke the record for the mammal that could hold its breath underwater the longest. The longest dive was recorded at 2 hours and 17 minutes.
What are hippos closely related to?
Until 1909, naturalists grouped hippos with pigs, based on molar patterns. Several lines of evidence, first from blood proteins, then from molecular systematics and DNA and the fossil record, show that their closest living relatives are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises).
What is a Oscitation?
Oscitation: The act of yawning, the involuntary opening of the mouth with respiration, breathing first inward, then outward. Repeated yawning is commonly a sign of drowsiness.