Mar Quiz - Cetaceans

Cetaceans are best described as a group of

• porpoises, whales, and dolphins

• dolphins

• marine mammals

• seals and whales

Cetaceans fit into two groups:

• odontocetes (toothed whales, dolphins, porpoises) and mysticetes (baleen whales)

• big whales and small whales

• whales and dolphins/porpoises

• whales/dolphins/porpoises and other marine mammals (seals, walrus, etc.)

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

You're whale watching and see a couple of orcas pop their heads above the water. What type of movement is this?

• Spyhopping

• Lobtailing

• Breaching

• Swimming

Why are cetaceans so valuable with fighting climate change?

• Their feces are nutrients for phytoplankton, which store carbon during photosynthesis.

• Whales respire, meaning they store carbon.

• They eat fish that would otherwise release methane through respiration.

• They aren't! Whales contribute greenhouse gases that drive climate change.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

Echolocation is seen in

• toothed whales only

• baleen whales only

• both toothed and baleen whales

Echolocation is used by whales, dolphins, and porpoises to

• hunt

• scare predators

• communicate

• hunt and navigate

The largest animal to have ever lived on Earth (including extinct life) is the

• blue whale

• sperm whale

• humpback whale

• narwhal

The ___________ sends out an echolocation signal while __________ receives the signal.

• melon; an organ underneath their jaw

• melon; melon

• mouths; melon

• brain; melon

True or False: Each orca (killer whale) population has its own distinct dialect or "language".

• True

• False

How does baleen work?

• Overlapping plates act as a strainer, allowing water to pass through but trapping small prey.

• They're like teeth but softer because baleen whales eat smaller prey.

• It allows whales to dive deeper by maximizing how much oxygen their lungs can hold.

• It's an organ in their forehead that allows them to "see" through emitted and returning signals.