Scientists are examining if a 5-meter (16-foot) whale corpse found on New Zealand's South Island is the remains of the elusive spade-toothed whale. Only six specimens of this species have been documented since the 1800s, and no live sightings have ever been reported. Scientists have an unparalleled opportunity to investigate this enigmatic creature due to the carcass, as per the reports of MSN. The Department of Conservation (DOC) of New Zealand's Hannah Hendriks, a technical advisor, emphasized the significance of this discovery. Studying the whale's food, environment, and any dangers to its existence may be gained through research. The spade-toothed whale is particularly rare.
As per the reports of MSN, Gabe Davies, DOC Coastal Otago Operations Manager, described it as «the most poorly known large mammalian species of modern times.»
The body is being kept in cold storage while DNA samples are being tested at the University of Auckland's New Zealand Cetacean Tissue Archive. A few weeks or months may pass through the confirmation procedure. As the whale is considered a precious treasure by the Indigenous people of New Zealand, scientists are working with the local Maori communities to ensure that it is treated with care.
About 500 miles off the west coast of New Zealand, on Pitt Island, jaw and tooth samples from the spade-toothed whale were initially used to document the species in 1874. A new species was proven by skeletal discoveries later on. A mother and calf who washed up on a
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