Lab Activity 6.2
Bottlenose Dolphins

  Directions

Study the instructional material below. Be sure to click on each of the photographs for an enlarged view in a separate window. The larger version is necessary to complete the assignment. It opens in a separate window which can be resized by grabbing the bottom right corner and dragging it. It can also be moved by grabbing the top heading bar and dragging it. Be sure to close the extra window by using the X in IBM, or the close box in MAC when you are finished using them.

  Introduction


No other group of marine animals is as well loved as the whales. They have captured our imagination and protection. Whales are mammals that are completely adapted for life in the ocean. Their anatomy and physiology enables them to swim like fish, hold their breathe for long periods of time, and venture into the ocean depths. By studying the Sea World Web Site you will become familiar with a variety of aspects of whale biology. The Bottlenose Dolphin will be featured in this lab activity.

Top  Instruction

Answer the following questions about bottlenose dolphins by clicking this link, visiting the Sea World/Busch Gardens Bottlenose Dolphin Web Site and searching for the answers. Prepare an answer for each of the questions listed below. You can print out the charts and fill them in or create similar charts in your notebook.

Be sure to write about what you are learning in the lab section of your notebook. You will be expected to answer questions about the lab activity during the lab self test and lab quiz. It helps to have your text and coloring books open beside you for support.

 
Supporting Information
Refer to the Assigned Readings Below:
Marine Biology Textbook Chapter 9, pages 190 to 209
Marine Biology Coloring Book Plate 61
 

Classification
Questions Answers
1. Breifly describe the family Delphinidae.   
2. How long ago did the genus Tursiops (the genus that includes the bottlenose dolphin) appear in the fossil record?   

 

Characteristics, Senses, and Adaptations
Questions Answers
1. Describe the teeth of the bottlenose dolphin.   
2. How does the hearing of a bottlenose dolphin compare to that of humans?   
3. How does the eyesight of a bottlenose dolphin compare to that of humans?   

Behavior
Questions Answers
1. Describe the social structure of a bottlenose dolphin pod.  
2. How do bottlenose dolphins cooperate when hunting and catching fish?  
3. Describe echolocation in bottlenose dolphins.  

 

Conservation
Questions Answers
1. What is the IUCN/SSC and the CITES and how have they contributed to the conservation of bottlenose dolphins?  
2. How have humans impacted the longevity and causes of death of bottlenose dolphins?  
3. The habitat and distribution of bottlenose dolphins is being studied by scientists all over the world. Describe what is now known about the populations of bottlenose dolphins.  

Lab Activity 6.3 Killer Whales