Melon (whale)

The melon is an organ of fat and connective tissue in the toothed whales ( Odontoceti ).

The melon is above the upper jaw and limited in many species of toothed whales the rounded forehead. The spongy tissue of the melon is saturated with a mixture of mostly triglycerides and small amounts of waxes and various Diacylglycerylethern. Another composition is found in the spermaceti of the sperm whale and some other toothed whales.

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

Swell

  • Frankel AS. 2008th Sound Production. In: Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, Second Edition ( eds Perrin WF, Wursig B, Thewissen JGM ), 1057-1071. Academic Press. ISBN 9,780,123,735,539th
  • Rice DW. , 2008. Spermaceti. In: Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, Second Edition ( eds Perrin WF, Wursig B, Thewissen JGM ), 1098-1099. Academic Press. ISBN 9,780,123,735,539th
  • Robineau D, Duguy R, Air M. 1994. Handbook of mammals of Europe. Volume 6: marine mammals. Part I: Whales and Dolphins - Cetacea, Part IA: Introduction, Monodontidae, Phocoenidae, Delphinidae. AULA -Verlag, Wiesbaden. ISBN 3-89104-559 -X.
  • Anatomy of whales
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