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Greenwatch "Historical Article"

This article was the first page created by AmazingAncientWorld on this Wiki.

Rhinoceros dolphinn

The Rhinoceros Dolphin (Delphinus rhinoceros), is an unrecognized species of dolphin said to have two dorsal fins.

Off the coast of the Sandwich Islands and New South Wales, Jean-Rene Quoy and Joseph Gaimard allegedly discovered a new type of dolphin. Described as Delphinus rhinoceros, these are dolphins - or dolphin-like whales - which possess two dorsal fins. One is near the head, where the neck would be on terrestrial animals, and the other is farther back than usual. These have a somewhat large size, and are black with large white blotches. However, their existence was never proven and their identity remains unknown. They may belong to a new genus, in which case the name Cetodipterus has been proposed by Michel Raynal, but the name is still up for debate.

Scientific names[]

  • Delphinus rhinoceros, given by J. R. C. Quoy and J. P. Gaimard in 1824.
  • Cetodipteros rhinoceros, given by Michel Raynal in 1991.

Possible explanations[]

  • Michel Raynal points out that the animal might just as well be an unknown beaked whale as a dolphin.
  • A calf pressed tightly against its mother might have been mistaken for a second dorsal fin in the nearest animal; that all the animals in the school had a similar protrusion may have been a false assumption.

Gallery[]

See Also[]

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