Skeleton of the Greenland Right Whale (Balaena mysticetus)

An inhabitant of Arctic waters, the Greenland Right Whale, or Bowhead, has never been very abundant. Groups comprising 50 animals may be seen in autumn but they shrink down to as few as 3 or 4 whales during the rest of the year. The Greenland Right Whale primarily feeds on the surface of the water, swimming slowly with its mouth open. It has 250-300 pairs of baleen plates which may be as long as 5.20 metres.

The skeleton shown here is as old as our Institute. The 14.8 metres long animal was captured off the coast of Greenland in 1846. Numerous bones of fossil   cetaceans were discovered during the fortification works of the city of Antwerp in 1860. Bernard du Bus de Gisignies, head of the Brussels Museum, was responsible for ensuring that these precious finds were handed over to the Museum. Mr. du Bus decided that a reference collection of modern cetacean skeletons should be created so as to facilitate research. He turned to his friend, P.J. Van Beneden, a professor from the Leuven University, who acquired the main items that now make up our collection of cetaceans. It is thanks to him that D.F. Eschricht, a renowned cetelogist, decided to donate the Greenland Right Whale to the Brussels Museum.

The skeleton's tail shows signs of arthritis. Several vertebrae are deformed and fused. This condition is quite common in older cetaceans.

Biblography

Lenglet G., 1995, Baleines et autres mammifères marins., Livret guide n° 7. Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique. pp. 115

Lenglet G., 1995 , Walvissen en andere zeezoogdieren. Museumgids nr. 7. Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen . pp. 115., (vertaling: Jan Claerbout, Hugo Vandendries).