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What species do dolphins belong to?
Dolphins belong to a group of mammals called cetaceans. Cetaceans include all whales and dolphins.
Which two species of organisms are dolphins?
There are two major types of dolphin, marine and river, with about 40 species in all. Family Delphinidae includes the marine dolphins, while families Iniidae and Platanistidae contain the freshwater river dolphins.
Is it illegal to catch dolphins?
Isn’t it illegal to capture dolphins from the wild in the United States? No. There is a widespread belief that it is illegal to capture wild dolphins in the U.S. However, even though no permits have been granted for captures since 1989, it is still legal to capture dolphins.
Are dolphins and endangered species?
Yes, dolphins are endangered and it’s because of human activity. Why are dolphins endangered? Let’s look into five different species and learn why. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, out of 41 dolphin species, five species and six subspecies are endangered.
Were dolphins land animals?
Fossil remains show dolphins and whales were four-footed land animals about 50 million years ago and share the same common ancestor as hippos and deer. Scientists believe they later transitioned to an aquatic lifestyle and their hind limbs disappeared.
Why is eating dolphins illegal?
Dolphin meat is high in mercury, and may pose a health danger to humans when consumed. Ringed seals were once the main food staple for the Inuit. They are still an important food source for the people of Nunavut and are also hunted and eaten in Alaska.
Can you own a dolphin as a pet?
Cetaceans (dolphin or porpoise), penguins, otters and manatees are banned according to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It is also prohibited to keep or sell a few species of endangered fish.
Analysis of the previously unknown, long-extinct animal also confirms that cetaceans — the group to which whales, dolphins and porpoises belong — are in fact the hippo’s closest living cousins. Yet the huge age gap between hippos and cetaceans in the fossil record left experts stumped.