#48860 - 11/27/01 07:44 PM
Breaking News about Whale Ears
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 6296
Loc: Piedmont Region of Virginia, U...
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Not to be confused with elephant ears or elephant ears, eNature.com reports this about whale ears:
...the age of certain whales can be determined by examining their ears.
The ear wax of Fin Whales and some other species of baleen whales is different from the kind that clogs our own ears. The whale variety forms a hard plug that seems to improve hearing rather than impair it. Also, the ear wax of these whales thickens in distinct layers each year -- two layers annually for the Fin Whale, while the Humpback Whale appears to add four layers of ear wax per year.
Once a person knows the appropriate rate of wax buildup for a given species, it's relatively easy to calculate the whale's age. Unfortunately, the whale must be dead in order for its ear plug to be extracted and studied. The surest method for determining the age of a living whale is to check its ID.
...now what I'd like to see is a close-up view of whale ears. Also, since that whale ear wax improves the whales' hearing, do our auditory engineers put it to any practical use?
In an attempt to keep the Word Safari active,
WildWord
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#48861 - 11/27/01 09:05 PM
Re: Breaking News about Whale Ears
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
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Dear WW: I found a picture of a Minke whale ear dissected, showing a "tympanic bulla" which may be a thickened ear drum to withstand pressure associated with deep dive. But, alas, no wax http://www.multim.com/baleines/BaleinesA.html
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#48862 - 11/28/01 05:05 AM
Re: Breaking News about Whale Ears
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 6296
Loc: Piedmont Region of Virginia, U...
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wwh, some words from the link (thanks for providing it):
Osmoregulation
Odontocetes
Mysticetes
The tympanic bulla
finger glove
malleus
incus
stapes in the oval window.
Care to comment in layman's terms?
Beast regards,
WhaleWind
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#48863 - 11/28/01 10:54 AM
Re: Breaking News about Whale Ears
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
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Dear WW: The whales are divided into two big groups. The odontocetes have teeth, and can eat such things as giant squid. The other group, the mysticetes have giant strainers like combs made of baleen, strong but flexible teeth to strain out of the water tiny creatures they feed on. This was the material from which corsets and hoopskirts were made of long ago. In looking up baleen in dictionary, I was surprised to find it comes from the Greek word for whale - phallus - said to have been suggested by the shape of the whale. (Somebody was thinking big!)
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#48865 - 02/06/02 11:41 AM
Re: Breaking News about Whale Ears
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 13858
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There have been stories in news recently about Navy Sonar damaging whale ears so badly whales die.
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#48866 - 03/08/02 12:22 PM
Re: Breaking News about Whale Ears
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 6296
Loc: Piedmont Region of Virginia, U...
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Dear Stales,
Now somehow strangely forever connected will be Winston Churchill, whales' ears, and grapefruits....
Did the artists paint Churchill's face onto the bones? And which of the bones? The hammer? (If a whale has a hammer bone?) The anvil? (If a whale has an anvil?) The stirrup? (If......stirrup?)
Or: Does the whale ear bone naturally look like Churchill? And, if so, what mystical significance is there in the fact that the whale's ear bone looks like Churchill? That couldn't be coincidental, if true, you know!! That's got to be some darned importantly significant bit of synchronicity!
Best regards,
Whalewind
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#48867 - 03/08/02 12:28 PM
Re: Breaking News about Whale Ears
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 6296
Loc: Piedmont Region of Virginia, U...
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And just to see how much tsuwm reads:
I would suggest that some whales are probably more navicularly shaped than others. Care to start a list of the most navicularly shaped whales?
Best regards,
Windbag
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#48868 - 03/08/02 01:49 PM
Re: Breaking News about Whale Ears
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 10/17/00
Posts: 5400
Loc: rego park
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sorry but if you are going to start talking about whales and bones in the same sentence, i feel compelled to point out, when a whale gets a boner, he uses his phallic bone! whales, and several other (mostly aquatic) animals, have bones in their pelvic area to help them get, and keep, it up. phallic bones can be as long as 6 feet! (almost 2 meters) and now like connie, i'll just whistle, and move along, all nice and quiet.. 
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#48869 - 03/08/02 02:20 PM
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 08/12/00
Posts: 3409
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#48870 - 03/08/02 06:17 PM
Re: Breaking News about Whale NOT EARS
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 08/04/01
Posts: 2605
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Helen, are you booking a whale-watching trip for your next vacation?  Will you please bring back pictures to share? Panoramic ones?
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#48871 - 03/09/02 06:48 AM
Re: Breaking News about Whale NOT EARS
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 6296
Loc: Piedmont Region of Virginia, U...
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Gosh, all this breaking news about whales and boners brings new meaning to those wild groans and moans in the cries of the Humpback Whale! Must go back and listen to that recording again!
Thanks, of Troy, for your constant and true edification of all of us here. Your knowledge of esoterica never fails to amaze me!
Best regards,
WhaleWatcher
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#48872 - 03/09/02 07:08 AM
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 08/12/00
Posts: 3409
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#48873 - 03/09/02 08:12 AM
Re: News about Whale NOT EARS
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 08/04/01
Posts: 2605
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#48875 - 03/09/02 01:02 PM
Gutter Goddesses
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/11/01
Posts: 2636
Loc: Caribbean
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and now like connie, i'll just whistle, and move along, all nice and quiet..Well, of Troy, you can talk my talk, and you can whistle my whistle, BUTT.....can ya walk my walk? [sashaying, swishing my skirts-e] Resident Hussy Goddess
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#48876 - 03/09/02 01:36 PM
Re: Gutter Goddesses
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 10/17/00
Posts: 5400
Loc: rego park
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dear sweet Connie, i could be wrong, but i seem to remember that once, not to long ago, as a stranger, you were as pure as the driven snow.. and then i sent you a PM, and pointed out nice girls go to heaven and us bad girls get to everywhere else, and invite you to take a stroll! I don't think of you (or myself!) as a gutter godess, but on my way to all those wonderful interesting places i go, i sometimes happen to cross a road, and to do so, i step into the gutter. i step in, i move along, if i make an observation or two along the way.. well, be that as it may. and i might point out, the shop that Max was kind enough to find, is in my home town. 6 food long whale bones my be expensive to mail.. do you want me to call and see if i can pick one up for you before i head out MI? Or would you rather plan a trip to NY for your self.. and get to pick a bone of your own bone? (angel is worried about explaining waffle irons.. imagine explaining a 6 foot phallic bone to immigration!) helen
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#48877 - 03/09/02 01:41 PM
Re: Breaking News about Whale NOT EARS
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addict
Registered: 12/28/01
Posts: 688
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#48878 - 03/09/02 02:33 PM
Re: Homage to the Goddesses
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 08/04/01
Posts: 2605
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Connie: BUTT.....can ya walk my walk? [sashaying, swishing my skirts-e]
Helen: i ... invite you to take a stroll!
Ah, life is beautiful! [happily walking 15 paces behind, enjoying the lovely views -e]
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#48881 - 03/17/02 04:33 PM
Re: Breaking News about Whale Ears
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 6296
Loc: Piedmont Region of Virginia, U...
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Dear Stales,
I'm confused. (Nothing new.) Which bone is six feet across and painted? Are we talking about the whale ear bone now or are we talking about the boner bone?
Very appreciative of a bit of explanation,
WonderingWind
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#48883 - 03/18/02 07:11 AM
Re: Breaking News about Whale Ears
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 6296
Loc: Piedmont Region of Virginia, U...
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Dear Stales,
My fault. I just misread. So this whale ear bone that's round (and like Winston Churchill and a grapefruit) is the one that's painted.
Thanks for setting me straight here.
WW
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#48886 - 03/18/02 05:48 PM
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 08/12/00
Posts: 3409
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#48887 - 03/18/02 09:15 PM
Re: Breaking News about Whale Ears
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addict
Registered: 01/18/01
Posts: 618
Loc: Australia
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...to Japanese and Norwegian ears they just sound dollarous.
And dollopous.
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#48888 - 03/25/02 12:41 AM
Re: Breaking News about Whale NOT EARS
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/09/00
Posts: 3065
Loc: Jakarta
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_________________________
Bingley
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#48889 - 03/25/02 06:36 AM
Re: Breaking News about Whale NOT EARS
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old hand
Registered: 01/12/01
Posts: 771
Loc: Portland, Oregon
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*Wow*, Bingley. That was quite an article! I took special glee in the reporter's use of the word erected.  Perhaps not unrelated, I've heard that Iceland has the highest national rate of alcoholism, presumably because Iceland is so godforsaken and boring. This guy has learned to channel his energy...
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