A visiting scientist and our bones ..

65 millions of years ago, when whales still walked on dry land, their skeletons were similar to an insane mixture of a wolf and a deer. Solid bones sustained their legs and a strong pelvis was an anchorage for a set of muscles on hips, legs and tail. Little by little those animals started entering the water and 40 millions of years ago the fossil evidence shows animals already similar to modern whales and dolphins.

Invited by the Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation, I came to Sandy Point in spring 2009 to help on the curation, catalogue and preparation of a fascinating collection of bones from different species of marine mammals and sea turtles that were stored at the facility after many years of stranding events. Luckily, samples are always taken; skeletons are buried and heads frozen, among other methods. Some bones are as small as lentil beans, other bigger than an average person and every bone has a story to tell.

A cetacean skeleton is a fascinating combination of light and robust elements designed to provide anchorage to a series of strong muscles for an effective swim and protection to the organs on chest and abdominal cavity. Despite their complexity, their chemistry does not change at all along their evolution. It is exactly the same chemistry of a mammalian bone. However, there is a huge difference about their density: as the skeletal structure of the cetaceans do not fight against gravity anymore, and they are not a support structure for a body that hangs from everywhere, its simplicity is intriguing and at the same time explains why a whale out of the water can have the lungs collapsed as its own weight will do this if the animal is stranded.

The process of cleaning the bones is simple but requires patience and timing; otherwise we will have bones on the same skeleton with different color and density, or loaded with phosphates and carbonates. Three different formulas are used to soak them for different times. Then, if the set is complete, a whole skeleton can be pieced together. Sometimes we only count with a skull, sometimes just a pectoral girdle, and sometimes just a vertebra, but whatever the case is, there is a story behind the sample, an explanation that needs to be extracted and a challenge that is waiting to be solved. Considering the question "why this animal died?" sometimes the answer is in the bones thereselves. Genetics, anatomy, physiology, evolution, populations, behavior, predator/prey dynamics, are just a few subjects that come afloat working with this incredible collection of marine mammal bones, and by understanding those riddles and puzzles, by unmasking their truth, the better protection we can provide to this group of animals and the better we can educate the future generations.

It has been my pleasure and my honor to work with Diane Claridge and Charlotte Dunn, the most accommodating mentors I ever had.

M. B. Pedro S. Baranda
delphos@whale-mail.com