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<html> <body> Their tongues are indeed that flexible but, of course, do not usually expand outwards. Most people do not think about the tongue but if they had a tongue that wasn't expandable, the throat grooves would not expand from the force of the whale swimming forward and suddenly opening its mouth. The hinge for the jaw also incredibly strong, preventing dislodging the jaw from the skull from the force of the water pushing backwards on it. <br><br> This whale's tongue is overinflated. The tissue can only expand so far and beyond that will begin to tear and there can be an explosive release.<br><br> Laurie <br><br> At 10:19 AM 10/7/2009, you wrote:<br> <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Hi Blake and Laurie,<br><br> On 7-Oct-09, at 10:05 AM, Blake Maybank wrote:<br><br> <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">At 09:20 AM 07/10/2009, you wrote:<br> <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""><font size=2>It is a female minke whale as far as I can see. Were there white patches on the flippers? The angle of the photographs do not show this feature. Also, minke whale baleen (if present) is cream coloured. With decomposition, the baleen loosens and quickly falls out.</font></blockquote><br> I have uploaded a couple of additional photos of the whale, of the fin and of the baleen. </blockquote><br> This clearly shows both the white patch on pectoral flipper and the cream-coloured baleen of the Mine Whale.<br><br> Laurie: wow, the <b><i>tongue</i></b> can really inflate to such extraordinary dimensions!? Amazing!<br><br> Cheers,<br><br> Chris<br><br> <br> Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca > | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada<br><br> * Research Associate: Nova Scotia Museum | <a href="http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/research-asfr.htm"> http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/research-asfr.htm</a><br> * Review Editor: The Coleopterists Bulletin | http://www.coleopsoc.org/<br> * Subject Editor: ZooKeys | <a href="http://pensoftonline.net/zookeys/index.php/journal/index"> http://pensoftonline.net/zookeys/index.php/journal/index</a><br> * Associate Editor: Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society | <a href="http://www.acadianes.org/journal.html"> http://www.acadianes.org/journal.html</a><br> * Editor: Atlantic Canada Coleoptera | <a href="http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html"> http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html</a><br> <br> <i>"Whenever I hear of the capture of rare beetles, I feel like an old war-horse at the sound of a trumpet."</i> - Charles Darwin<br> </blockquote></body> </html>
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