Cetacean Skeletons at Local Museums Right Whale
After visiting the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, I was left in awe by the amazing displays featuring fully intact whale skeletons. Entering the museum’s newly renovated Great Mammal Hall, I was immediately struck by the sheer size of the three whale skeletons hanging from the ceiling. The three species of whale found here include the Sperm whale, the Fin whale, and the Right whale; and each skeletal display offered a unique glimpse into the biological construction of nature’s largest mammalian creatures. Personally, I found myself becoming increasingly fascinated with the amazing Right whale skeleton, because this was my first up-close encounter with this animal’s distinctive baleen filter-feeding system. Baleen whales are one of two suborders of the Cetacean order (which consists of whales, dolphins and porpoises), with the other suborder consisting of the toothed whales or Odontoceti order. By examining the baleen mouth of the Right whale in such close proximity, I was able to see how the baleen hangs solely from the upper jaw, rather than connecting between the upper and lower jaws.