are whales at the top of the food chain?
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Killer Whales Great white sharks, to be exact. But the true ruler of the sea is the killer whale. Killer whales are apex predators, which means they have no natural predators. They hunt in packs, much like wolves, which are also at the top of their food chain.
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Experts on marine mammals say that dolphins - including "killer whales," which are more properly called orcas - rank among the most intelligent species on the planet.
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The largest member of the dolphin family, orcas are incredibly powerful, hunting anything from seabirds and squid to large prey like pinniped species (seals and sea lions), and even sharks or other whales. ... Orcas are the largest of all dolphin species, but compared to their Mysticeti cousins, they're quite small.
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Humans aren't at the top of the food chain. In fact, we're nowhere near the top. To know where an animal ranks on the food chain, ecologists calculate its trophic level . This ranking places different organisms in succession based on which organisms they eat, and/or are eaten by.
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Though killer whales, also called orcas, are considered whales by most people, they are actually members of the Delphinidae (dolphin) family. Killer whales are excellent hunters that a wide range of prey, including fish, seals, and big whales such as blue whales.
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Yes, whales are mammals, however due to the fact that they live in the ocean these large animals are referred to as marine mammals. ... Breathing air – Mammals have lungs and require air to breathe, so they are unable to breathe underwater like fish and amphibians.
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Hunting and Diet They're at the top of the food chain and have very diverse diets, feasting on fish, penguins, and marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches long.
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Orcas are less common in tropical waters. PREY: The orca is at the top of the marine food web. Their diet items include fish, squid, seals, sea lions, walruses, birds, sea turtles, otters, other whales and dolphins, polar bears and reptiles. They even have been seen killing and eating swimming moose.
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Experts on marine mammals say that dolphins - including "killer whales," which are more properly called orcas - rank among the most intelligent species on the planet. ... Dolphins have so much brain power that they're thought to rival humans in intelligence.
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Cows are more closely related to whales than to pigs, says a genetic study that suggests a new place for whales in the evolutionary family tree. Prior studies have indicated that whales, along with dolphins and porpoises, are rather closely related to hoofed mammals with an even number of toes.
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There are two types of whales: toothed and baleen. Toothed whales, as the name suggests, have teeth, which are used to hunt and eat squid, fish, and seals. Toothed whales include sperm whales, as well as dolphins, porpoises, and orcas, among others.
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That's because most bottom feeders aren't just at the bottom of lakes and oceans—they're at the bottom of the food chain as well. Their diet of algae and other detritus gives them plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for human health.
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Phytoplankton is the first link in the food chain. These are known as primary producers because they produce the first forms of food. ... These, in turn, become food for larger organisms such as bivalves, crustaceans and fish.
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Humans are said to be at the top of the food chain because they eat plants and animals of all kinds but are not eaten consistently by any animals. The human food chain starts with plants. Plants eaten by humans are called fruits and vegetables, and when they eat these plants, humans are primary consumers.
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Most whales belong to the group of toothed whales such as all dolphins and porpoises.
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Hippos spend lots of time in the water and now it turns out (or researchers argue), they are the closest living relative to whales. ... Thewissen says that whales are more closely linked to an extinct pig-like animal, often known as India's pig or Indohyus, while hippos are closely related to living pigs.
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People use the terms dolphins, porpoises, and whales to describe marine mammals belonging to the order Cetacea (from the Greek work ketos, “large sea creature”), and often use them interchangeably. The orca, or killer whale, for example, is actually the largest member of the dolphin family.