Are whales mammals? What are the ancestors of whales?

There are two major categories of whales, one is baleen whale and the other is toothed whale. There are more than 30 species of whales in China's waters. So, are whales mammals? What kind of animals were the ancestors of whales? Let's get to know it together.

Is a whale a mammal?

Whales are mammals. Whales belong to marine mammals, vertebrates, vertebrates, mammals, mammals, and marine mammals. There are about 80 species of whales in the world that live in oceans and rivers. Except for a few species that live in fresh water, whales all inhabit the sea. We should note that whales are not actually fish, they are mammals that live in water.

What are the ancestors of whales?

It is speculated that the ancestors of whales are most likely to be terrestrial hoofed animals from North America, Europe and Asia-the family Cephalidae, whose members are as small as domestic dogs and as tall as bears, but many animals have evolved from small to large, so whales may have evolved from small middle claws, which, according to speculation, have a small number of teeth that fish in shallow waters. After gradually transforming into an amphibious life form, it has become today's whales and dolphins in a long process of evolution.

III. Current situation of whale population

Due to environmental degradation and mass human hunting, whale members, especially some large ones, have been widely hunted because of their high economic value, and many whales are on the verge of extinction. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is an international organization responsible for whaling and whale conservation. After the sharp decline in whale populations caused by commercial whaling, IWC decided to take action to protect whales, including a temporary ban on commercial whaling since 1986. Indian Ocean Cetacean Reserve and Southern Ocean Whale Reserve were established in 1979 and 1994 respectively. However, since 1986, more than 25000 whales have been killed in the banner of "scientific whaling" because Japan, Norway and other countries have taken advantage of loopholes in the IWC resolution, as well as Norway, Iceland and Japan, as well as some indigenous tribes in Siberia, Alaska and Northern Canada. 、

What kind of food do whales eat

Whales generally feed on molluscs, fish and mayswimming animals, and some species can also hunt seals and seals. Whales have to breathe every once in a while in the water. Generally, whales swim from cold water areas at high latitudes to hot water areas at low latitudes in winter to give birth in hot water areas at low latitudes. In summer, they swim back to cold water areas at high latitudes to hunt for food. Many whales are now on the verge of extinction due to a large number of human hunting.

The above is the little knowledge about whales introduced to you by the editor of Tuliu.com. I hope I can help you!