Amazon River Dolphin Skull Replica
$393.00
This specimen features a notably asymmetrical cranium with specialized small eye sockets and elongated zygomatic arches. The thin rostrum houses a heterodont dental array, where conical anterior teeth transition into ridged posterior crowns.
- Description
- Additional information
Description
Amazon River Dolphin Skull Replica measures 18.8L x 19.0W x 7.0H in. Amazon River dolphin skull replica is museum-quality polyurethane resin cast of original specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and mandible). Made in USA.
Amazon river dolphin or Inia geoffrensis, also known as the Boto, Bufeo or Pink river dolphin, is a species of toothed whale classified in the family Iniidae.
Their teeth differ in shape and length, with differing functions for both grabbing and crushing prey. Anterior teeth are conical and later have ridges on the inside of the crown.
Amazon river dolphin small eyes, the species seems to have good eyesight in and out of the water.
It has a melon on the head, the shape of which can be modified by muscular control when used for biosonar. They live in sluggish waters of the Amazon and Orinoco basins.
Amazon river dolphin have one of the widest ranging diets among toothed whales, and feed on up to 53 different species of fish, such as croakers, catfish, tetras and piranhas. They also consume other animals such as river turtles and freshwater crabs.
Amazon river dolphin is the largest river dolphin. Adult males reach a maximum length and weight of 8.4 ft. and 408 lb. while females reach a length and weight of 7.1 ft. and 330 lb.
It has very evident sexual dimorphism, with males measuring and weighing between 16 percent and 55 percent more than females, making it unique among cetaceans, where females are generally larger than males.
The texture of the Amazon river dolphin or Inia geoffrensis body is robust and strong but flexible. Unlike in oceanic dolphins, the cervical vertebrae are not fused, allowing the head to turn 90 degrees.
The flukes are broad and triangular, and the dorsal fin, which is keel shaped, is short in height but very long, extending from the middle of the body to the caudal region.
The pectoral fins are large and paddle shaped. The length of Amazon river dolphin fins allows the animal to perform a circular movement, allowing for exceptional maneuverability to swim through the flooded forest but decreasing its speed.
The skull of the species is slightly asymmetrical compared to the other toothed whales. It has a long, thin snout, with 25 to 28 pairs of long and slender teeth to each side of both jaws.
Dentition is heterodont, meaning that the teeth differ in shape and length, with differing functions for both grabbing and crushing prey.
Anterior teeth are conical and later have ridges on the inside of the crown. Despite small eyes, the species seems to have good eyesight in and out of the water.
It has a melon on the head, the shape of which can be modified by muscular control when used for biosonar. Breathing takes place every 30 to 110 seconds.
Scientific Classification:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Artiodactyla
- Infraorder: Cetacea
- Family: Iniidae
- Genus: Inia
- Species: I. geoffrensis
- Binomial name: Inia geoffrensis (Blainville, 1817)
- Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN 3.1), CITES Appendix II
The unique heterodont dentition of the Amazon River dolphin skull is a fascinating evolutionary contrast to the specialized rostrum found on the Indus River dolphin.
Additional information
| Weight | 30 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 18.8 × 19.0 × 7.0 in |