Indus River Dolphin Skull Replica

Description

Indus river dolphin skull replica measures 14.4 x 6.0 x 5.0 inches. The Platanista minor skull is a museum-quality polyurethane resin cast from California Academy of Sciences specimen. 1:1 scale. 2-part skull (separate cranium and mandible). 1:1 scale. Made in USA.

The Indus River dolphin is a toothed whale. It is also called a Bhulan. It lives only n the Indus River Basin of Pakistan and northwest India. Irrigation barrages separate the animals into five small populations.

This dolphin was the first discovered side-swimming cetacean. It has a long, pointed snout that thickens at the end. You can see its teeth even when the mouth stays closed. Young dolphins have thin, curved teeth. As they age, these teeth turn into flat, bony disks.

The dolphin does not have a crystalline eye lens. This makes the species effectively blind. It can only detect the intensity and direction of light. The animal uses echolocation to navigate and hunt for food.

Its stocky body has a brownish color. It features a small triangular lump instead of a normal fin. The flippers and tail look large compared to its body size. Males grow up to 7.2 feet long, while females reach 8.5 feet.

Scientific Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Artiodactyla
• Infraorder: Cetacea
• Family: Platanistidae
• Genus: Platanista
• Species: P. minor
• Binomial name: Platanista minor Owen, 1853
• Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN 3.1)

Expand your collection with three incredible dolphin models. The La Plata dolphin skull replica features a very long, slender snout. The Risso’s gray dolphin skull replica has a blunt, squared-forehead and the rough-toothed dolphin skull replica adds a unique dental structure with its heavily ridged teeth.