A study reveals the "secret of the enormity of whales"
The blue whale is the largest known creature on Earth
Whales of all kinds, between blue, bowhead, fin, gray, humpback, right and amber, are the largest animals in the world today.
In fact, the blue whale is the largest known creature on Earth, surpassing even the dinosaurs in size.
?But how did these marine mammals become so big
A new study explores the genetic underpinnings of "giganticism" in whales , and identifies 4 genes that appear to have played critical roles in that gigantism.
The researchers said that these genes not only helped in large size, but also in mitigating negative consequences that may threaten the lives of animals, such as increased risk of cancer and reduced offspring.
"Body size is a complex result of many genes, pathways, and physical and environmental processes," said geneticist Mariana Neri of Estadual Universidad de Campinas in Brazil , a co-author of the study published in Scientific Reports on Thursday.
?What is the phenomenon of delinquency whale
Blue whales can reach a length of about 30 meters, fin whales about 24 meters, sperm whales and bowhead whales to about 18 meters, humpback whales and right whales about 15 meters, and gray whales about 13.5 meters.
After evaluating 9 genes, including some associated with increased body size in other mammals, the researchers found that 4 of them appeared to play a role in large whales.
Source: websites