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Carcass of elusive whale species discovered in New Zealand
Al Jazeera
Only six samples of the spade-toothed whale have ever been documented.
The body of a rarely seen whale species appears to have washed ashore on a New Zealand beach, giving scientists new insight into the elusive creature.
The carcass of the spade-toothed whale – which is so rare it has never been spotted alive – was recovered by a river in the southern province of Otago on July 4.
The beaked creature, measuring 5 metres (16.5ft) long, was identified by marine mammal experts at New Zealand’s Department of Conservation and the national museum, Te Papa, as a male spade-toothed whale
A DNA investigation was launched to confirm its classification, scientists said.
The find was fresh enough to offer the first opportunity for researchers to dissect a spade-toothed whale, which scientists know very little about.