Melon (whale)

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Section through the head of a toothed whale, melon orange

The melon is a special organ made of fat and connective tissue in the head of the toothed whale (Odontoceti).

The melon lies over the upper jaw and causes the rounded forehead of many toothed whale species. The spongy connective tissue of the melon usually contains a mixture of mostly triglycerides and smaller amounts of waxes and various diacylglyceryl ethers. Another composition is found in the spermaceti of the sperm whale and some other toothed whales.

The melon focuses the sounds of the toothed whales produced by the vocal folds and dorsal bursae (fat-filled sacs) and is therefore important for the echolocation of this group of animals.

swell

  • AS Frankel: Sound Production. In: WF Perrin, B. Wursig, JGM Thewissen (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. 2nd Edition. Academic Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-12-373553-9 , pp. 1057-1071.
  • DW Rice: Spermaceti. In: WF Perrin, B. Wursig, JGM Thewissen (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. 2nd Edition. Academic Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-12-373553-9 , pp. 1098-1099.
  • D. Robineau, R. Duguy, M. Klima: Handbook of Mammals of Europe. Volume 6: Marine Mammals . Part I: Whales and Dolphins - Cetacea. Part IA: Introduction, Monodontidae, Phocoenidae, Delphinidae . AULA-Verlag, Wiesbaden 1994, ISBN 3-89104-559-X .

Web links

Wiktionary: Melon  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations