1

Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

The Monodon Monoceros or narwhal is a unique mammal in one of the worlds harshest

ecosystems, the Artic. The narwhal has a unique set of traits that set it apart from other

mammals. The closest common ancestor to the narwhal lived off the coasts of Mexico and Baja,

California. The narwhal also has adapted to its niche due to its unique traits like special tear

glands and their unfused vertebrae. Also, the narwhal has a vacuum that helps it catch the fish it

is hunting. Another thing is that narwhals have parasites that live in the water that try and attach

onto them, and also has a host of prey for it to eat.

Relatedness section

According to “Relatives” Some of the species that the narwhal is related to includes the

Beluga whale, they are related because they are both in the Monodontidae family. The narwhal is

also related to dolphins, orcas and porpoises, which are in the Cetacea order with the narwhal

(“Relatives”). According to “Narwhal” Hinterland, it does not specify when the two groups split

off from each other, but is stated that it was within the past 11 million years. One of the reasons

that caused the narwhal branched off from the beluga was because of different migration patterns

of ancestors with a certain gene going in one direction and a certain gene that went opposite of

the other group, and they started in-breeding with each other in different parts of the Artic, for

example, the Denebola which is the ancestor, had genes to distinguish both species, but never got

the gene like the tusk the narwhals have or the distinct white color the belugas have, so when the

two groups split off in their migration patterns and interbreeding occurred, the genes that where

selected against now became one of the only options and started occurring more and more within
 2
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

the groups. Some of the reasons that they could not mate once they became separated was that

Artic ice barriers started to cause the two species to veer away from each other because they

were too difficult to navigate and if they got stuck they would become prey for their predators.

Another reason could have been that interbreeding and natural selection could have changed

some of their genes or chromosomes enough for something to go wrong in the stages of

reproduction, and they would eventually just stop trying because nothing would happen, and

would revert to interbreeding causing even more distancing from the two species (“Narwhal”

Hinterland). The results of interbreeding caused genes to be selected that caused a split between

the narwhal and beluga.

Figure 1 Cladogram of the Narwhal and relatives.

According to figure one, it is shown that the narwhal is more closely related to the beluga

(Phocoena phocoena) than the other whale and dolphin species. Also, according to Naish,

because of new discoveries by marine biologists, the newly discovered common ancestor of the

narwhal and beluga is not on the cladogram. The most direct common ancestor the narwhal and

beluga share is known as the Denebola brachycephala, which was in the same family as the

narwhal and beluga. Other common ancestors the narwhal shares with closely related species are

the Kentriodon pemix and the Atocetus nasalis (the bottom two lines from the cladogram). The
 3
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

monophyletic group that the narwhal and its relatives share is known as the Monodontidae

family, which includes the narwhal, beluga and the common ancestors associated with the family

(Naish). The narwhal has genes that are similar to species but also has specialized traits.

The common ancestor is the Denebola brachycephala, an extinct whale belonging to the

family monodontidae, and its earliest known ancestor of the beluga (“Denebola

Brachycephala."). According to “AMM”, some of the similar traits they had was that they lack

the top dorsal fin, bump on the front of their head, same wider head, and thicker body skin to

help them survive the extreme weather of their niche. The common ancestor had these traits

because it was said to have lived off the coast of Baja, California and Mexico, and these traits

appeared due to migration after the glacial cover of the oceans altered ("Alliance of Marine

Mammal). The common ancestor passed down necessary traits to survive in it’s niche.

Figure 3 Narwhal's skull

Figure 2 Denebola Brachycephala's skull

 4
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

These images show the skulls of the narwhal and its common ancestor the Denebola

Brachycephala. They are very similar in size and shape; however, the narwhal’s is slightly bigger

due to picking up the genes for a tusk that grows out the front of the head. These two skulls are

used as type of evidence to compare the two species, and the skulls show that they are very

closely related, suggesting that the Denebola is a direct common ancestor of the narwhal and the

beluga.

According to “Narwhal” a vestigial structure that the narwhal and the beluga is the fact

that they both don’t have the top dorsal fin unlike other whale and dolphin species. Instead of the

actual dorsal fin, the narwhal has a dorsal ridge that gets up to 5 cm high and covers about half of

their backs, this ridge helps differentiate narwhals as well as helping the narwhal and beluga

navigate through the sea ice, this also helps them conserve energy and not have to distribute heat

around the body as much. Another structure which is vestigial, is their pectoral flippers. Because

they have the major skeletal elements of forelimbs on land mammals, but they are shortened and

modified, rather than walking, they use them to help steer and to help them to stop moving to get

up or in a certain direction for food or an air pocket. (“Narwhal” Hinterland). The narwhal’s

vestigial structures show its relatedness to other species by showing how they are alike, but used

in different ways.
 5
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

Classification

According to “Mammal Characteristics”, the narwhal belongs to the class mammalia,

which has many specific traits within that class. One of the defining traits of mammalia’s is that

they have mammary glands, these glands produce milk for their offspring after birth, this milk

produced has disease-fighting molecules and nutrients for the baby mammal’s needs. This helps

them survive by eliminating harmful diseases in the newborn as well as providing them nutrients

long enough until they can provide for themselves, allowing them to have a constant source of

nutrients. Unlike other species who must find their own nutrients and have a higher risk of

getting led into a trap, whereas the mammals can nurse their newborn and teach it all the tricks

needed to help it survive. Another trait mammals have is fur or hair on their bodies which helps

them conserve body heat as well as being able to sense and communicate. They can help this

class of animals survive by using it to help them see like cats do, or use it to frighten off

predators by making the mammal look larger and more threatening. It can also help them survive

in cold weather or waters like the narwhal, or in warmer weather and water. Another unique trait

is that they have three middle ear bones, which allows mammals to hear without opening their

jaw unlike another species such as a snake. This gives mammals an advantage because they can

communicate for danger, food, or mating without losing their ability to hear a reply and can help

them find food, escape predators, and find a mate easier (“Mammal Characteristics”). The

narwhal is part of a group of species that have traits to help them survive and distinguish them

from other species.

 6
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

According to Cetacea, the narwhal belongs to the order of cetacea which has several

distinct traits, one trait is echolocation. This allows narwhals to use frequencies to distinguish

prey and non-prey, size, shape, surface characteristics, distance and movement of an object. This

helps them survive because without echolocation, they would have hard times swimming by

being not able to distinguish distances and where or how big ice caps or holes are, and catching

prey or finding the surface to get air and help judge distances and would make them very

vulnerable to predators or getting stuck under ice. Another trait is that the eyes are set on the

sides rather than the front of the head. This allows the species to look on the sides of their bodies

and allowing them to see what’s going on around the sides of their bodies as well as see what is

going on in front of them, this allows them to see things trying to sneak up on them or see

different and easier angles to get up or down into something to get air or out of trouble. Another

special feature is the inclusion of tear glands which are secrete greasy tears, protecting the eyes

from salt in the water. Also the lens is almost spherical, making it more efficient in water with

minimal light in deeper water. This helps them survive first by the tear glands protecting the eyes

from the salt to keep their eyes healthy and allow them to see. Then by the spherical lenses

allowing them to hunt better in deeper waters where some of their prey is and allow them to find

them and hunt them more efficiently, not costing them extra energy chasing it around trying to

find it (Cetacea). The narwhals order has specialized traits like the tear glands and echolocation

to help them fill their niche. The order the narwhal is in has unique traits for its niche.
 7
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

According to “Melon (cetacean)”, the narwhal belongs to the monodontidae family which

has special traits that set them apart from other species. One trait in the monodontidae family is

the head structure or melon, which is described as rounded and as a balloon filled with warm

lard. Because of this unique structure, it helps with the vocalizations and acts as a sound lens.

Making it key in communication and echolocation, making it vital to the narwhal, because it

allows them to now work together to hunt food or defend themselves and less risk of injury or

death themselves (“Melon (cetacean)”). According to “BNM”, another trait is that their cervical

vertebrae is unfused inside their body. This helps the narwhal to survive because it allows for

greater lateral and vertical flexibility to help it get around ice caps to get oxygen, and can also

help it escape predator’s jaws or tusks by stretching out of the way. Another thing that sets the

monodontidae family apart from other families is that they don’t possess a dorsal fin, and where

there is an irregular ridge extending about five centimeters in height halfway on its back, and

they also have broad, short and rounded flipper, both allow for less energy to be spent in the fins

and more so to their survival and too keep up their body heat allowing them to survive in the

cold climates they live in (“Belugas and Narwhals (Monodontidae)”). The narwhals’ family

classification has distinguished traits helping it survive in its niche.

 8
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

According to “MSIP”, the narwhal’s genius and species Monodon monoceros and has

some very defining characteristics and traits. One of the characteristics is that the narwhal only

has two teeth which are in the upper jaw and in females they usually remain embedded in the

upper jaw bones, however in males it is normal for one or both teeth to grow through the front of

the head and becomes a tusk up to three meters long. This can help them survive by using it to

ward off predators or to poke holes in the ice to get air, or to spear their food too keep it from

falling into the ocean or getting away from the narwhal (“Marine Species Identification Portal”)

According to “5 Interesting Narwhal Facts”, another trait is that the narwhal is born grey, but

later develops a black and white mottled coat. This coloring acts as a camouflage for the

narwhal, because looking up it looks like the ice caps, and looking down on it makes it look like

the bottom of the ocean, giving the narwhal a chance to sneak up on prey or predator before they

have a chance to react, providing less risk for the narwhal. Another reason the narwhal is unique

is because besides the tusks(teeth) that grow out of the front of the narwhal, they have no other

teeth which means they have a very specific diet because they can only swallow prey whole, and

to do that they can suck their prey into their mouth like a vacuum to catch their prey. Another

feature narwhals have is that they can dive up to five thousand feet, which is deeper than any

known ocean animal which also helps them hunt their prey as well as escape predators that can’t

follow them down that far into the ocean (“5 Interesting Narwhal Facts”). Narwhals traits are

specific all the way to a genius and species level.

 9
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

Male and female narwhals very in height and weight, narwhals average weight reaches

between sixteen hundred kilograms (3527.396 pounds), and males reach up to 4.7 meters long

and females up to 4.2 meters long and have the weight distributed evenly in the middle and front

and less in the back of the narwhal (“Narwhal”). According to “EB”, because many male

narwhals have a tusk, they have been given the nickname of unicorn of the sea, and it inspired

belief in the mythological one horned unicorn. Among the Inuit people of the Artic, there is a

legend about how the narwhal came to be, the story is that a cruel woman persuaded by her son

to tie the end of a harpoon rope around her waist. When he threw the weapon and deliberately

aimed and hit a large whale, it dragged her into the water, and in the dark depths became a

narwhal and bore a tusk formed from her hair (“Encyclopaedia Britannica”). According to

“Name of the Narwhal”, the narwhal does not appear to have any special ways it was used in

history, this is partly because of the mysteriousness and elusiveness of the creature, and so much

of it is unknown to scientists. The narwhal is famous mostly for the long tusk that protrudes from

the heads of most males and some females, crowning it the unicorn of the sea. The narwhal

earned its name from the Norse sailors, the name given by the sailors suggests the terror that the

narwhal inspired in the sailors. Nar is an old Norse word for corpse which is tied to the weird

whiteness of the narwhal’s body. An English explorer, Martin Frobisher in 1577 saw one and

named it the narwhal (“Name of the Narwhal”).

 10
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

Microevolution

According to “RSB”, one of the behavioral traits that allow the narwhal to survive is that

they travel in groups. The groups of narwhals range between three to twenty narwhals swimming

together, making them a hard target for their predators and it allows them to ward off predators

like the greenland shark or killer whale, and make predators wearier to attack narwhals because

they know that they will rarely catch one by itself. Another trait is blubber, which allows them to

survive in the niche they live in. It allows them to insulate their body to help protect them from

the extreme temperatures of the water in the Artic. In addition to that, the blubber oils in the

melon shaped space of the narwhal’s head can change shape allowing it to help with music

control. This gives them a larger vocal range to help them coordinate hunting raids or call for

help against predators (“Reproduction and Social Behavior”). According to “Home.”, another

physical trait that helps the narwhals survive is their short flippers. These help the narwhals

survive because they help them swim with all the ice in the water because it allows them to turn

better in the water. This helps keep them from getting stuck in or on ice in the water or coming

up for air because of their ability to turn so well with their flippers. Also with the flippers, they

use up less energy in their flippers because their shorter, and allows that energy to be used

elsewhere, or not needed at all, which helps them survive because their niche is harsh, with little

selection of species for the narwhals to pick from and eat ("Home.”). The evolution of working
 11
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

together and of flippers works in favor of narwhals, and they use those changes to their

advantages.

According to “Home.”, narwhals are good at catching their prey for many reasons, one

reason is their ability to dive into the depths. Narwhals can dive down to roughly five thousand

feet, this helps them catch their food or any food because little to none of their predators can

follow them down that deep, also their echolocation and hearing becomes even more effective

for them because their eyes aren’t the best and it’s dark enough at five thousand feet that their

eyes wouldn’t function well down there anyways. Another reason the narwhal is good at

obtaining and avoiding being food is their camouflage. As shown in figure one, narwhal’s have a

natural camo, with the dark, spotted skin on the top of the narwhal making appear as if it wasn’t

there because looking down from the surface it would blend in with the water, likewise on the

underside of the narwhal, which is white, makes it look like a floating piece of ice when looking

up at it. This camouflage allows for narwhals to sneak up on prey and blend in with their

environment to also help them escape predators ("Home."). Also, according to “NMML”,

another feature of narwhals that helps them catch their food is their mouths. They create a mini

vacuum and suck up their food, which is easier than having to sink teeth into a fish they’re

chasing or to try and spear a fish on their tusk and then getting it off and eating it that way, this

vacuum they create allows them to create less work for themselves and save precious energy for

other things ("National Marine Mammal Laboratory."). Evolution of traits, such as camouflage

allows the narwhal to have advantages over other predator and prey relationships.
 12
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

Figure 4 Picture of a Narwhal's "Camouflage"

According to “Web”, not much is known about the mating rituals or behaviors to

get mates, but scientists have observed narwhals in an activity known as “tusking”. This

is a behavior done by males where both males cross tusks. It’s speculated that this

activity is sexually motivating because a male’s tusk grows more rapidly after sexual

maturity, also that females rarely have a tusk, these facts lead to the idea that the

narwhal’s tusk plays a role in sexual behavior (“Web”). Also according to “RSB”,

narwhals also care for their offspring to provide it with the mother’s milk, which is very

rich in fat, and helps the calf grow a fatter layer of blubber. It also cares for the calf for a

nursing period of twenty months after birth to help it swim as well as how to hunt for

itself. This also helps them protect their calf because of the long time spent with the

mother, and teaching it how to do the necessary activities to survive, so when or if it

decides to part ways, it will have a better chance to survive than animals that must learn

everything by themselves and on the spot. Another reason they protect their calf so long

is because the birthing interval is three years, which means it takes a long time to produce

offspring, and they can only have one calf at a time, which is why they have to protect
 13
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

their calf so intently for as long as they do, or the species would die out due to the fact

that they cannot produce enough offspring fast enough. Another reason narwhals protect

their offspring is because they are born with brown hairs on their blubber, making them

stick out in the environment they inhabit, and easier for predators to pick out and hunt

down (Reproduction and Social Behavior). Microevolution has shown the narwhal what

it has to do to keep producing offspring and assuring its survival of the offspring.

The narwhal has many unique traits associated with it, and natural selection played a big

part in picking these traits to help the narwhal be suited for their niche. One trait that was picked

by natural selection where the smaller flippers because these helped the narwhal steer better and

turn better in the water and around ice to help it catch its prey and avoid its predators and it keeps

them off the ice. Additionally, the smaller flippers mean less energy in the flippers which gives

them more energy to spend in other areas like reproduction or mean they have less overall energy

narwhals need to consume. Which overall gives them better survivability and allows them to

produce more offspring. Another trait selected by natural selection is the camouflage, the black

spots on the top and the white under belly help them blend in for easy prey and avoiding of

predators, which helps them survive and produce more offspring than species with other colors.

And the third trait that is selected by natural selection is their ability to dive down to depths of up

to five thousand feet, this helps them survive and produce more offspring because little to none

of their predators can follow them that deep, and it opens a wider selection and less picked on

source of food in the depths of the ocean. This shows how microevolution helped pick the traits

necessary to the narwhal’s survival in its niche.

 14
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

Ecosystems and Relationships

The narwhals spend most of their time in the Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland, Russia

and Norway, one of the areas Narwhal's can be found is the Baffin Bay-Davis Strait area which

is between Canada and western Greenland (“Narwhal.” WWF). According to “ABFPR”, the

narwhal's ecosystem has many abiotic factors. The temperature is an abiotic factor around the

Artic area and helps define the ecosystem there. Because the average temperature in the artic is

fifty-four degrees below zero, allowing for only few species to survive there and barriers such as

ice to affect the habit there. Another key abiotic factor in the ecosystem is the presence of ice in

the water and above the water. The ice helps shape the ecosystem because it is used by the

narwhals to help them blend in from prey and predators looking up at a narwhal. Also with ice

on the surface on the water, as well as in the water can help corral prey into a smaller area

making easier to hunt, or use it to shake chasing predators. Another reason it can shape the

ecosystem is take predators and prey out of the ecosystem by getting them stuck in the ice

underwater in ice caves, or on the surface for the animals that need air to breath, or getting stuck

in-between big pieces of ice floating in the water help define the ecosystem. Another abiotic

factor that defines the ecosystem is the wind in the area that averages speeds of ten to fifty miles

an hour, and can reach up to seventy miles an hour. This defines the ecosystem because of all the

free-floating ice in the area, the high windspeeds help cause it to drift. This leaves landmark

places useless, especially for hunting grounds and mating areas for narwhal's, because of the

ever-shifting ice, the ecosystem constantly changes, whether it's moving ice or adding ice off the

surface into the water ("Abiotic & Biotic Factors of Polar Regions."). And according to “Part

4”,the narwhal has many relationships with different animals in its niche. One relationship the
 15
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

narwhal has is a mutualistic one with each other. As narwhals travel in packs to hunt for food, as

well as protecting each other from their predators while they hunt for their food. These activities

show the mutualistic relationships within narwhals because they work together and are both

benefitting. Another relationship narwhals have is commensality with barnacles. The barnacles

attach themselves onto narwhals to eat the bacteria from the narwhal’s skin without harming the

narwhal, which benefits the barnacles because they get something to eat, and the narwhal doesn’t

care if they are on it or not. Narwhals also have a parasitic relationship with lice crustaceans.

These crustaceans attach to the narwhal and feed on the narwhals’ tissues, which the narwhal

needs to live in the extreme cold of its niche. This is parasitism because the crustacean gets the

food from the narwhal and leaves the narwhal to suffer (“Part 4.”) According to “Narwhal

(Monodon Monoceros)”, along with these relationships, the narwhal also has a key role in the

ecosystem as a keystone species. Along with other dolphin species, it is a keystone species

because it helps keep its preys number in balance and not allow them to overpopulate the water

("Narwhal (Monodon Monoceros) - Order Cetacea.").

 16
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

Figure 5 Arctic food web

According to figure three, the producer in the food web of the narwhal is the ice algae,

phytoplankton and the benthos on the bottom of the ocean. Producers are identified because they

only have the energy arrows passing on energy to other organisms. The producers are eaten by

Walruses, zooplankton, and various bacteria. These are the primary consumers in the food web,

they are the organisms that eat only the producers and give off their energy to other consumers in

the food web. Primary consumers are shown with one energy arrow coming to them, usually

from the producers, and the rest of their energy arrows going out to other organisms that signify

they are eaten by them, and that is where the flow of energy goes to. The next level within a food

web is the secondary consumer level. This level is higher up in the food web, but is still hunted
 17
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

and hunts. In figure one the secondary consumers include killer whales, polar cod, carnivorous

amphipods, bowhead whale, the narwhal and the seal. These predators and prey are shown in the

food web by being two energy arrows away from a producer. There are only so many of these in

an ecosystem because as you move up the energy level deceases by a percent, so the higher up,

the less energy you get from eating an organism or plant. And at the top are the tertiary or apex

predators, these are identified with only energy arrows coming to them, and none going to any

other organism, showing they are at the top of the food chain. These apex predators include the

killer whale, polar bears and humans. These predators are the ones that do the hunting and don’t

or rarely get hunted (the polar bear is the exception to this food web).

According to “BNAP”, humans also have direct impacts on the narwhals’ environment,

one such way is that humans hunt the narwhals. This affects the environment because their

population goes down, which means that the prey it eats goes up and numbers and the predators

that eat it go down because they cannot find enough to eat fast enough. This disrupts the balance

of the food web in the Arctic environment and can lead to fish overpopulating and species like

the polar bears getting closer to the extinction mark if they cannot find food for themselves.

Another way the narwhals’ environment is affected is through human activities such as marine

pollution. The environment is affected by this because of the pollution they put in like pesticides

eat away at the ice, and get ingested by prey that the predators eat. For the narwhal, no ice means

no protection from its apex predators like killer whales and polar bears. However, for the

environment, lack of ice can lead to intense flooding in certain areas, especially the countries that

are near the Arctic like Canada and Russia, which will lead into massive chaos (Belugas,
 18
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

Narwhals, and Arctic People). Also, according to “HWOAIML”, another way humans affect the

narwhals’ environment is through ocean acidification. This is a process when more carbon

dioxide is added to the ocean water, which is added to the atmosphere by humans, causes the

ocean to become more acidic. This can affect the environment because it will impact species

growth, reproduction and survival of all the plants and animals in the water. If it becomes too

much for the ocean to handle, the ecosystem will change drastically because very little to no

species will be able to live in the oceans if the PH levels of the ocean raise high enough ("How

Will Ocean Acidification Impact Marine Life?"). However according to “PRE”, there are efforts

being made by humans to help save the narwhal from extinction. One way is a law the was

established to ban hunters from hunting narwhals, with the exception of the Inuit Tribe because it

is a significant source of nutrients in their diet. But even though they are allowed to hunt, each

hunter from the tribe is limited to only five narwhals a year. Both of these laws are part of the

nineteen seventy-six Narwhal Protection Regulations. This legislation also grants total protection

of mothers and their calves. It is also required that the narwhal carcasses must be used as fully as

possible, along with full documenting and labeling of every tusk obtained

(“Protection/Rehabilitation Efforts.”).

Overall, the narwhal is a very unique mammal in its ecosystem as well as to the scientists

that study it. I learned about the narwhal that it’s tusk can bend up to a foot before breaking.

Also, that it’s tusk is actually a tooth and that they can have two of them. As well as the narwhal

has an unfused vertebrae giving it great flexibility. However, the narwhal is important because it

is a keystone species in its ecosystem. It maintains the balance of the prey levels and keeps them
 19
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

from overpopulating the Artic. If the prey levels got out of hand due to lack of predators, other

species are affected as well because the prey will eventually move and become an invasive

species. Which means no natural predators, and humans may have to intervene. And if that were

to happen, other ecosystems may be destroyed because of the invasive species or human

intervention. Ultimately, the narwhal is a key species to its ecosystem as well as others across the

globe.
 20
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

Biblography

"5 Interesting Narwhal Facts." Aquaviews - SCUBA Blog. N.p., 15 Nov. 2013. Web. 02 Apr.

2017. <http://www.leisurepro.com/blog/explore-the-blue/5-interesting-narwhal-facts/#>.

"Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums." Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and

Aquariums. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.

<http://www.ammpa.org/doc_beluga_factsheet.html>.

"Arctic Wildlife: Get to Know the Polar Cod." Ocean Currents. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2017. –

(Picture)

"Belugas and Narwhals (Monodontidae)." Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia.

Encyclopedia.com, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

<http://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-

maps/belugas-and-narwhals-monodontidae>.

"Cetacea." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 01 Apr. 2017. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetacea#Physiology>.
 21
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

"Denebola Brachycephala." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Mar. 2017. Web. 26 Mar.

2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denebola_brachycephala>.

"Home." Whale Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017. <http://www.whalefacts.org/narwhal-

facts/>.

"How Will Ocean Acidification Impact Marine Life?" How Will Ocean Acidification Impact

Marine Life? - 2015 - IIASA. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2017.

"Marine Species Identification Portal : Narwhal - Monodon Monoceros." Marine Species

Identification Portal : Narwhal - Monodon Monoceros. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

<http://species-

identification.org/species.php?species_group=marine_mammals&id=116>.

"Melon (cetacean)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Mar. 2017. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melon_(cetacean)>.

"Narwhal (Monodon Monoceros) - Order Cetacea." Google Sites. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2017.

"Narwhal." Hinterland Who's Who - Narwhal. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.

<http://www.hww.ca/en/wildlife/mammals/narwhal.html>.

"Narwhal." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Mar. 2017. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narwhal>.

"Narwhal." WWF. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 01 May 2017.

"Part 4." NarwhalMonodon Monoceros. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2017.

 22
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

"Protection/Rehabilitation Efforts." Narwhals: Endangered Species. N.p., 01 June 2015. Web. 01

May 2017.

"Relatives." The Mighty Narwhals. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.

<http://themightynarwhals.weebly.com/relatives.html>.

"Reproduction and Social Behavior." Narwhal Network. N.p., 09 May 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.

<https://narwhalnetwork.wordpress.com/reproduction-and-social-behavior/>.

"What Does the Name of the Narwhal, One of the Oddest Animals on Earth, Literally Mean?"

Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, 08 Feb. 2011. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

<http://blog.dictionary.com/narwhal>.

Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

<http://blogs.britannica.com/2011/03/legend-mystery-narwhal/>.

Laboratory, National Marine Mammal. "National Marine Mammal Laboratory." National. N.p.,

21 Aug. 2006. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.

<https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/nmml/education/cetaceans/narwhals.php>.

Naish, Darren. "Grampus Griseus Joins the Globicephalines." Scientific American Blog

Network. N.p., 06 Aug. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.

<https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/grampus-joins-globicephalines/>.

Wilkin, Ph.D. Douglas, and Ph.D. Jean Brainard. "Mammal Characteristics." CK-12 Foundation.

CK-12 Foundation, 29 Aug. 2016. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

<http://www.ck12.org/biology/Mammal-Characteristics/lesson/Mammal-Characteristics-

BIO/>.
 23
Ethan Aldrich
Baker-Smith
7th Period

Writer, Leaf Group. "Abiotic & Biotic Factors of Polar Regions." Sciencing. Leaf Group, 24

Apr. 2017. Web. 01 May 2017.