Narwhal Male Skull Replica

Description

Narwhal Male Skull replica measures 22 inches. Narwhal Male Skull replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. Tusk measures 61 inches. San Diego Museum of natural history specimen. Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home decor skull, or office decor skull. 2-part skull (separate cranium & jaw).

Narwhal or Monodon monoceros are medium-sized whales typically weighing within a range from 1,760 to 3,530 lbs.

The pigmentation of Narwhal or Monodon monoceros is a mottled pattern, with blackish-brown markings over a white background. They are darkest when born and become whiter with age. The most conspicuous characteristic of the male narwhal or Monodon monoceros is a single long tusk, a canine tooth that projects from the left side of the upper jaw, through the lip, and forms a left-handed helix spiral.

The tusk grows throughout life, reaching a length of about 1.5 4.9 to 10.2 ft. It is hollow and weighs around 22 lbs. About one in 500 males has two tusks, occurring when the right canine also grows out through the lip. Only about 15 percent of female Narwhal or Monodon monoceros grow a tusk. It lives year-round in the Arctic waters around Greenland, Canada, and Russia.

Old males may be almost pure white. Narwhal or Monodon monoceros do not have a dorsal fin, possibly an evolutionary adaptation to swimming easily under ice. Their neck vertebrae are jointed, like those of land mammals, instead of being fused together as in most whales, allowing a great range of neck flexibility.

Both these characteristics are shared by the beluga whale. The tail flukes of female narwhals or Monodon monoceros have front edges that are swept back, and those of males have front edges that are more concave and lack a sweep-back. This is thought to be an adaptation for reducing drag caused by the tusk.

The Narwhal or Monodon monoceros tusks are surrounded posteriorly, ventrally, and laterally by several small vestigial teeth which vary in morphology and histology. These teeth can sometimes be extruded from the bone, but mainly reside inside open tooth sockets in the narwhal’s snout alongside the tusks.

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