The Beaked Whales of the Family Ziphiidae: An Account of the Beaked Whales of the Family Ziphiidae in the Collection of the United States Museum...True, Frederick W. (Frederick William)
Science
The Beaked Whales of the Family Ziphiidae: An Account of the Beaked Whales of the Family Ziphiidae in the Collection of the United States Museum...
True, Frederick W. (Frederick William)
Beaked whales
Tenth lumbar (last): Centrum like that in Barnegat skeleton. Neural arch
and spine only slightly higher than length of centrum. Transverse process
oblong, free margin nearly transverse; process inclined forward so that
tip is a little beyond anterior face of centrum. Metapophyses close to
centrum, rounded in outline. Neural spine much inclined backward;
anterior edge concave, posterior convex, tip expanded. A rounded inferior
median ridge and very distinct oblique posterior channels on under side
of centrum.
_Charleston_ (female, jr.).—First lumbar: Similar to that of Barnegat
skeleton, but transverse process directed outward and scarcely or not at
all forward; length of process equal to that of centrum; tip rounded (due
to immaturity).
Tenth lumbar (last): Centrum very long. Neural arch and spine a little
less in height than length of centrum. Transverse process oblong, curved
forward, more than one-half as long as centrum. Metapophyses similar to
those of Newport skeleton. Inferior median ridge very sharp; lateral
channels rather indistinct.
CAUDAL VERTEBRÆ.
_Barnegat City_ (female).—First caudal (vert. 28): Similar to last
lumbar, but neural spine broader antero-posteriorly. Transverse process ࡪ
length of centrum, inversely triangular, the tip much in advance of
anterior face of centrum, free end somewhat rounded. Metapophyses similar
to those of last lumbar. No median inferior ridge, but two short
processes bearing facets for chevrons posteriorly and a very slight
indication of similar process anteriorly, but without facets. Posterior
inferior oblique channels indistinct.
Seventh caudal (vert. 34): Centrum (exclusive of chevron processes)
nearly as deep as long. Neural arch and spine only a little higher than
length of centrum, very much inclined backward and expanded at distal
end; free border of spine straight. Metapophyses close to centrum, united
nearly to tips by a horizontal plate. A ridge extends backward from their
tips nearly across the arch. Another very prominent ridge traverses the
centrum at the base of the arch. At the posterior end, a deep groove,
convex forward, extends down the side of the centrum, making an
emargination in the transverse process and proceeding thence down the
lower side of centrum to its lower middle point, where it ends in a deep
semicircular emargination between the anterior and posterior chevron
facets. Transverse process a triangular stub, reaching nearly to the line
of the anterior face of centrum. Chevron processes very large, and the
median inferior surface of the centrum between them deeply grooved
longitudinally.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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