Children learn about whales

By CHARITY SMITH

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MERCER, Wis. - Library patrons heard a "whale of a tale" on Thursday morning. Sean Sullivan, an experimental archeologist with Colossal Fossils in Wausau, explained how the porpoises had evolved.

Sullivan showed fossil replicas in his presentation and discussed prehistoric ancestors to whales he called an "apex predator," in that it fed on sharks and other fish. He said that scientists know that it ate live prey because it had armored eyebrows.

Sullivan said that modern day whales are divided up into two categories: predatory whales and whales. Baleen whales are comprised of all the "huge whales such as blue whales, grey whales, white whales." He said that a blue whale is considered to be the largest animal on earth today.

"I took some measurements and it would go from where I'm standing (near the library entrance) all the way to the road (Margaret Street)," said Sullivan. "They tap out at 120 tons. That's like a couple of freight train engines. They're massive animals."

He also spoke of the mythological stories about whales. Hundreds of years ago fisherman would come back with stories of "giant unicorns dancing across the waves in the middle of the ocean," he said. Sometimes they would bring back giant "unicorn" horns which would be sold at apothecaries, and magicians would use them. What they were seeing was the tusk of a narwhal whale, he said.

Sullivan also talked about the purposes of the tusk and a dolphin's "superman-style" x-ray vision. He said dolphins are quite verbal and call each other by name through a series of unique sounds.

"It's not a language the way we understand it, but they are absolutely able to teach and learn from each other," he said.

He claimed dolphins are also the only other species to do altruistic behavior. He said they have been known to save people lost at sea, and come to the aid of a whale in distress, even raising their young.

After the presentation, Sullivan had the children come up and view the fossils.

"I thought this was really interesting," said library board member Hedda Patzke. "Having hands on things for the kids to see and all those interesting facts."

Jenny Darton, said she brought her seven-year-old daughter Delaney to the presentation as she said Delaney has declared in kindergarten that she wants to be a paleontologist when she grows up.

The audience was nearly 50 people, which librarian Theresa Schmidt said was the largest turnout the library has had this year.

For more information on the Wausau museum, visit colossalfossils.com.