Discover new hybrid creatures between dolphins and whales

Experts took samples to analyze and confirm the case of the first cross-bred dolphin with a female head whale in Hawaii.

Researchers at Cascadia Research Collective announced the discovery of a dolphin-whale hybrid , Fox News reported on July 28. They first encountered this creature in a two-week research project on Kauai Island, Hawaii, in August last year.

The hybrid (before) swimming with the head whale (later) may be the mother.(Photo: Cascadia Research Collective).

It is said to be the first hybrid case between the head whale and the dolphin dolphin , according to Robin Baird, principal researcher in the project. "The scientific community has recorded a number of hybrid organisms between whales and dolphins. However, this is the first case with these two species and is the third confirmed by a natural hybrid. of two species of the same family Delphinidae, " Baird said.

Previously, the special shape of hybrid organisms urged scientists to take biopsy samples for analysis. After examining the gene, they identified it as a dolphin-whale hybrid. The creature's fathers can be a rough-toothed dolphin and their mother is a melon whale, a rare species found in Hawaii.

Hybrids (before) and rough toothed dolphins (later) swim on the water.(Photo: Cascadia Research Collective).

"Scientists have long suspected that breeding, when a species' genetic data is combined with another species, may be one of the factors leading to an uncertain classification in dolphins. This time strengthened that possibility, " Baird added.

The probability of seeing a dolphin hybrid - a second whale is very small, he noted. However, the group of scientists will still return to Kauai next month for further research."If caught again, we will try to sample the biopsy of the head of the whale head as well as record video and underwater images for further analysis , " Baird said.