Hind Limb Rudiments on Modern Whales Example Four

HIND LIMB RUDIMENTS FOUND ON MODERN DAY WHALES

EXAMPLE #4

1956 -- Sperm whale caught by Japanese whaling operation, July 5th, 1956, protrusions on either side of the anus.

1954-1961 -- Japanese whaling operations catch 12,761 sperm whales, “so the percentage of the occurrence of the sperm whale with rudimentary hind limbs may be about 0.02 for the total catch in the Bering sea and the northern part of the north Pacific…But I suspect that protruded hind limbs in sperm whales would show a higher percentage if more strict examination were made on all whales caught especially in the land whaling stations flensing many sperm whale in the waters adjacent to Japan.”

1959 -- Sperm whale with protruded rudimentary hind limbs is reported by A. P. Kyodo in the Japanese newspaper, The Mainichi dated May 18, 1959 (based on broadcast from Moscow). “In the legs, there exist bones by examination using X ray.”

1960 -- Sperm whale caught July 16, 1960 by Japanese whaling operation in the north Pacific, a pair of protrusions, each clearly elevated like a dome on either side of the anal groove, white circular spot (cartilage) in the center of the cut protrusions extends as far as half of the dome. (See Fig. 8)

1962 -- Sperm whale with protruberances caught in Kuril waters. Protruberances contain undeveloped thigh bones. (Soviet news published by Soviet embassy in London on May 22, 1962.)

SOURCE: Nemoto, Takahisa. (1963) "New Records of Sperm Whales With Protruded Rudimentary Hind Limbs." Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute, No. 17, p. 79-81.

Figure 8