News Animals

Belugas may communicate by warping a blob of forehead fat

Whales in captivity can mold their “melon” into at least five different shapes

A beluga whale looks toward the camera, its forehead bulging out prominently

Beluga whales like this one at Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium sport a blob of forehead fat called a “melon.” The cetaceans contort the melon into different shapes, possibly to communicate with each other.

Paul Souders/Getty Images

By Elizabeth Anne Brown

Read another version of this article at Science News Explores

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