Comments on: What the stomach contents of sperm whales tell us about giant squid and octopuses http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/ Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:00:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Christopher Guerra http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2858 Christopher Guerra Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:42:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2858 I just want to be first and welcome our Deep Sea Giant Cephalopods leaders! I just want to be first and welcome our Deep Sea Giant Cephalopods leaders!

]]> By: llewelly http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2857 llewelly Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:23:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2857 <blockquote> ... a most unorthodox technique- he studied remains recovered from the stomachs of dead sperm whales. </blockquote> Wait a minute. Everything I've previously read stated or implied that giant cephalopods were so hard to catch and so hard to study in their natural environment, that study of remains recovered from the stomachs of dead sperm whales <i>was</i> the orthodox technique. What gives? Did giant cephalopods suddenly become plentiful and easy to observe?

… a most unorthodox technique- he studied remains recovered from the stomachs of dead sperm whales.

Wait a minute. Everything I’ve previously read stated or implied that giant cephalopods were so hard to catch and so hard to study in their natural environment, that study of remains recovered from the stomachs of dead sperm whales was the orthodox technique. What gives? Did giant cephalopods suddenly become plentiful and easy to observe?

]]> By: Daddy Stegosaurus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2856 Daddy Stegosaurus Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:21:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2856 Cool article, Ed. Thanks. "carbon-13 compared to carbon-13" though? Is this a typo or is my ignorance showing? Cool article, Ed. Thanks.
“carbon-13 compared to carbon-13″ though? Is this a typo or is my ignorance showing?

]]> By: MattK http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2855 MattK Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:45:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2855 Those squid are so cool. Thanks Ed. Sweetwater, I can't think of any specific references off the top of my head that explain how/why it works but there was something about this published in Nature a few years ago. Anyway, it has been a hot technique for a while now. Search for stable isotope analysis. <a href="http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119397309/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0" rel="nofollow">Here</a> is a cool paper that came out of my neck of the woods. Those squid are so cool. Thanks Ed.
Sweetwater, I can’t think of any specific references off the top of my head that explain how/why it works but there was something about this published in Nature a few years ago. Anyway, it has been a hot technique for a while now. Search for stable isotope analysis. Here is a cool paper that came out of my neck of the woods.

]]> By: Sweetwater Tom http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2854 Sweetwater Tom Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:44:24 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2854 Can you give a reference (URL) that will explain why N-15 tells us where in the food chain an organism is? Thanks. Can you give a reference (URL) that will explain why N-15 tells us where in the food chain an organism is? Thanks.

]]> By: Lilian Nattel http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2853 Lilian Nattel Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:56:13 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2853 Amazing how much can be learned from beaks. Amazing how much can be learned from beaks.

]]> By: Paulino http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2852 Paulino Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:43:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2852 Here's another video of Taningia danae: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_AZyrH_0z8" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_AZyrH_0z8</a> Here’s another video of Taningia danae:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_AZyrH_0z8

]]> By: wazza http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2851 wazza Wed, 18 Mar 2009 06:10:34 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2851 Actually, a lot of the deep-sea squid are heavily ammoniated... I attended the public seminars on deep-sea squid that accompanied the preservation and examination of the colossal squid specimen here at Te Papa and was lucky enough to see the videos of T. danae... absolutely amazing how fast and powerful they are Actually, a lot of the deep-sea squid are heavily ammoniated…
I attended the public seminars on deep-sea squid that accompanied the preservation and examination of the colossal squid specimen here at Te Papa and was lucky enough to see the videos of T. danae… absolutely amazing how fast and powerful they are

]]> By: Russell http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2850 Russell Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:30:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2009/03/17/what-the-stomach-contents-of-sperm-whales-tell-us-about-giant-squid-and-octopuses/#comment-2850 That they are tasty. ;-) That they are tasty. ;-)

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