| MadSci Network: General Biology |
Aha! That sounds like the Beluga Whale. Read more about them at: http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/Beluga/home.html The Beluga is a small dolphin-like cetacean that is almost white. Early scientists may have mistaken the smooth, white skin for "snow white fur" as the whales glided by. A cetacean is a mammal, and a defining characteristic of a mammal is to have hair. But as they adapted to life in the sea, hair become redundant and was lost. Hair on land mammals traps warmer air next to the skin to keep the animal warm. But in the sea, it would only mean hydrodynamic inefficiency - slowing the animal in the water. Whales and dolphins developed a nice, warm thick layer of blubber instead of hair. I hope this explains it a little more! -Alastair
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