Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Jiu-Jitsu

2008-09-25T03:13:42Z

AliceG: Redirecting to Jiu-jitsu

#REDIRECT [[Jiu-jitsu]]

Paranormal

2008-09-25T02:56:03Z

AliceG: wikify

'''Paranormal''' is pertaining to the claimed occurrence of an [[event]] or perception without [[science|scientific]] explanation, as [[psychokinesis]], [[extrasensory perception]], or other purportedly [[supernatural]] [[phenomena]].

[[Category:Dictionary]]

Ailment

2008-09-25T02:54:54Z

AliceG: like an illness?

An '''ailment''' is a physical or [[mental]] [[disorder]], usually prolonged and relatively [[mild]]. It is similar to an [[illness]]. If someone is suffering under an ailment, we say they is '''ailing'''.

[[Category:Dictionary]]
[[Category:Medicine]]

Dock

2008-09-25T02:51:43Z

AliceG: wanted page

A '''dock''' is the place where boats are [[moor]]ed. In [[Britain]], condemned [[criminal]]s sit on a dock while they is waiting to be executed.

"Dock" is also a [[verb]], which means to decrease, as in "The man ''docked'' the other man's pay," or meaning to tie up at a dock.

[[Category:Dictionary]]

Sir Thomas More

2008-09-25T02:48:49Z

AliceG: Redirecting to Thomas More

#REDIRECT [[Thomas More]]

Granada

2008-09-25T02:44:03Z

AliceG:

''Not to be confused with [[Grenada]], which is an island country.''

[[Image:Alhambra.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The [[Alhambra]] and the Sierra Nevada mountains]]
'''Granada''' is an ancient [[city]] and the [[capital]] of the [[province]] of [[Granada]] located in [[Andalusia]], [[Spain]].
It is noted for being the site of the [[Alhambra]] [[palace]], a [[Moor]]ish [[citadel]] which dominates the city.

The city was founded by early Ibero-Celts whom traded with the [[Phoenicia]]ns and Carthaginians. The [[Greeks]] established a colony in the 5th century BC but were surplanted first by the [[Romans]] and then the [[Visigoths]]. The Moors finally captured the city in 713 AD. There were periods of unrest and possession oscillated between the native Iberians and the North African [[Muslim]] invaders with the being destroyed in 1010. In 1228 the [[Nasrid]] dynasty was established by Ibn al-Ahmar and as the [[Kingdom]] of Granada it became a vassal state to [[Castile]] in 1238. It achieved success as a trading bridge between the [[Christian]] north and Muslim [[Africa]] trading [[gold]] and supplying [[mercenary]] soldiers. The Nasrids completed the building of the palace and [[fortress]] complex in the middle of the fourteeth century.

After being besieged by the Castilian forces of [[Ferdinand and Isabella]], the the last Muslim leader, [[Muhammad XII]] surrendered the city on January 2, 1492. This marked the end of Muslim rule in the Iberian [[peninsula]].

[[Category:Spain]]

Objective

2008-09-25T02:41:08Z

AliceG: New page: If something is '''objective''', then it is based on empirical, observable data without applying personal preconceptions or experience. It is the opposite of subjective. [[Category:Di...

If something is '''objective''', then it is based on empirical, observable data without applying personal preconceptions or experience. It is the opposite of [[subjective]].

[[Category:Dictionary]]

Talk:Descent

2008-09-25T02:38:46Z

AliceG: also works without h---

Here is a mnimonic I just tought up. "If you are [[decent]], then you will not [[descend]] into Hell." How is that for remembering how to keep them two different words straight? It also works with "[[descend]] to personal insults", if you do not believe in hell. [[User:AliceG|AliceG]] 22:37, 24 September 2008 (EDT)

Talk:Descent

2008-09-25T02:37:18Z

AliceG: New page: Here is a mnimonic I just tought up. "If you are decent, then you will not descend into Hell." How is that for remembering how to keep them straight? ~~~~

Here is a mnimonic I just tought up. "If you are [[decent]], then you will not [[descend]] into Hell." How is that for remembering how to keep them straight? [[User:AliceG|AliceG]] 22:37, 24 September 2008 (EDT)

Descent

2008-09-25T02:35:44Z

AliceG: "Descent of Man"

'''Descent''' is the act, process, or fact of descending. When people die, the bad people's [[soul]]s descend into [[Hell]], while the good people's souls [[ascend]] into [[Heaven]].

In [[evolution]], [[Charles Darwin]] wrote ''The Descent of Man'' - not to be confused with [[decent]].

[[Category:Dictionary]]

Cetaceologist

2008-09-25T02:13:33Z

AliceG: New page: A '''Cetaceologist''' is a person who studys Whales. Category:Oceanography

A '''Cetaceologist''' is a person who studys [[Whales]].

[[Category:Oceanography]]

Whale song

2008-09-25T02:10:13Z

AliceG: Redirecting to Whale language

#REDIRECT [[Whale language]]

Whale language

2008-09-25T02:09:46Z

AliceG: Whale song

'''Whale language''' is the language of [[whale]]s. It is sometimes called whale [[song]]. Whales cannot actually sing, but they are known to make [[noises]] in their throats that sound kind of like squeaking or howling, so scientists who study whales (Who are called [[cetaceologist]]s) has called it "singing".

Some people say whales sing to each other because they are looking for [[mate]]s. Other people say that whales sing because it is fun. Nobody knows for sure.

==External Link==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPPjS4uMwtw Whales singing] on YouTube

Wales

2008-09-25T02:01:40Z

AliceG: dsiambiguaton; American spelling

:''Not to be confused with [[Whale]]s.''

[[Image:Flag of Wales.png|thumb|The Welsh flag]]'''Wales''' is a principality which is a part of the [[United Kingdom]]. It occupies the peninsula of land between the [[Bristol Channel]] and the [[River Dee]], on the west side of southern [[Great Britain]]. [[Anglesey]], [[Holy Island]], and the bardic island of Bardsey are also part of Wales.

Much of Wales is mountainous; the [[Cambrian Mountains]] run the length of the country, from [[Snowdon]]ia in the north. Several [[geological period]]s are named after the ancient Welsh tribes that lived in regions where strata characteristic of the period are to be found; the [[Ordovician]] (Ordovices), the [[Silurian]] (Silures), and the [[Cambrian]] period is named for Cambria, the [[Latin]] for Wales.

The largest city in Wales is [[Cardiff]], which was declared to be the capital city in 1955, against competition from [[Swansea]]. Other important locales include the ports of [[Holyhead]] and [[Milford Haven]]; the mining and industrial centres of Llanelli, Neath, Pontypridd, [[Rhondda]], Merthyr Tydfil and [[Wrexham]]; the ecclesiastical cities of [[St. Asaph]] and [[St. Davids]]; the resorts of Pwllheli, [[Llandudno]], Colwyn Bay, Rhyl and Prestatyn; the university towns of Bangor and [[Aberystwyth]]; and the villages of [[Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch]] (the longest place name in Britain) and [[Llanddewi Brefi]].

[[English]] is universally spoken in Wales - however, the ancestral Celtic language of [[Welsh]] is still spoken as a first or second language by approximately a quarter of the population (In 2001, Apporximately 600,000 people claimed some knowledge of welsh). The long-term decline in Welsh-speakers has stabilized since the early 1990s owing to the introduction of compulsory Welsh language classes in schools.

The national emblems are the [[leek]] and the [[daffodil]]. The Welsh national day is March 1, [[Saint David]]'s day.

==History==

Wales emerged as a nation from the collapse of Romano-British Britannia following the invasions of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes from the fifth century AD onwards. What is now known as Wales was for a time known as 'North Wales', while [[Devon]] and [[Cornwall]] (in SW England) were 'West Wales' until their conquest. The Mercian king [[Offa]] (Mercia equates roughly to the English Midlands) created an substantial earthwork, [[Offa's Dyke]] running between the [[Irish Sea]] and the [[River Severn|Severn]] estuary in the later eighth century to separate his kingdom from Welsh lands. The dyke broadly marks the Anglo-Welsh boundary to this day.

The [[Norman Conquest]] of England following 1066 gave rise to Norman attempts to occupy Wales; by the thirteenth century much of eastern and southern Wales were under Norman control in autonomous 'Marcher Lordships' owing loyalty to the English crown. What was left of independent Wales was not a unitary nation, but comprised a number of separate, often warring, principalities, and only late on, under English pressure, did these unite to acknowledge one 'Prince of Wales'. These princes were provided by the most powerful of the Welsh states, Gwynedd, in the mountainous NW of the country. Most notable was [[Llewelyn the Great]] (1173-1240; who unified the country, and gave it a code of laws). His grandson, [[Llewelyn ap Gruffydd]], was unable to resist a powerful invasion mounted by the English king [[Edward I]], and his death in battle in 1282 marked the extinction of independent Wales.

A number of huge fortifications were built by Edward to pacify the country, notably that of [[Caernafon Castle]], and maintained by his successors. These castles wer known as the ''Iron Ring''.

A major revolt against English rule was mounted in the early fifteenth century led by [[Owain Glyndwr]], a member of the prosperous Welsh gentry who became embittered against the local English magnates for reasons which are uncertain, but probably owe as much to personal disputes as national sentiment. Glyndwr's rebellion achieved astonishing success, for a while. Beginning on Good Friday 1401, the rebels came to control much of the countryside and many Welsh towns, even advancing to [[Worcester]] in England. Glyndwr, who had been proclaimed Prince of Wales, held two parliaments at Machynlleth in mid Wales, and allied himself with the Duke of Northumberland and the Earl of Mortimer in a plan to dismember the English kingdom once Henry IV had been conclusively defeated. He made an alliance with [[France]], and created two (short-lived) universities, one each in north and South Wales. However, by 1408 the tide had turned. His Northumbrian allies had been defeated and English forces retook many Welsh towns. The rebels resorted to guerilla warfare but by 1410 Glyndwr was a fugitive and he disappears from history, his fate a mystery.

Much as Owain Glyndwr emerged from the ranks of the Welsh gentry, so too did Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who in 1485, as a somewhat tendentious claimant to the throne of England through the Lancastrian line, led an army of disaffected English magnates to victory over the Yorkist king [[Richard III]] at the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]]. Henry became King [[Henry VII]] and the progenitor of the [[Tudor dynasty]], the first Welsh king of England. Henry's son, [[Henry VIII]], completed the absorption of Wales into England in 1536, when the remaining parts of Wales were formally annexed to England and 'shired' - that is, divided into counties (shires) with sheriffs and lords lieutenant, rather than being ruled as marcher lordships.

[[Charles]], eldest son of [[Queen Elizabeth II]], is the current Prince of Wales, a title normally bestowed on the first-born son of the sovereign but implying no particular monarchical role in the Principality. The Welsh flag has a picture of a [[dragon]], usually called Idris. The Welsh flag forms no part of the Union Flag as at the time the flag was first devised Wales was considered as part of the Kingdom of England.

Even today in modern Wales, vestiges of anti-English sentiment remain strong in some parts; the Welsh Nationalist Party, [[Plaid Cymru]] typically returns several members to the British [[Parliament]], and with the unaffiliated Welsh terrorist group the [[Meibion Glyndwr]], ("the Sons of Glendower") conducting a sporadic campaign of arson against English-owned holiday homes in recent years.<ref>http://www.welshdragon.net/resources/Articles/arson.shtml</ref>

[[Druidry]] survived as a major force in Wales until the 18th century, and may never have completely died out. The first modern Welsh druids date from 1717, but they took many of their rites from existing practices. The winner of the chair at the national [[Eisteddfod]] becomes a druid.

== Government ==

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right"
|- bgcolor=cccccc
! Position || Current Holder
|-
| [[British_monarchy|Monarch]] || Queen [[Elizabeth II]]
|-
| [[UK_Prime_Ministers|Prime Minster]] || [[Gordon Brown]] MP
|-
| [[Secretary of State for Wales|Secretary of State]] || [[Peter Hain]] MP
|-
| [[First Minister of Wales|First Minister]] || [[Rhodri Morgan]] AM
|}

Although constitutionally the United Kingdom is a unitary state with one sovereign, parliament and government - there has been moves to give power to national legislature in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, this has taken the form of devolution. Power for certain areas of government like education, health and the environment are fully the responsibility of their national governments. However, central government maintains the right to overturn any decision by a national assembly, as as such the [[Parliament of the United Kingom]] remains sovereign in the United Kingdom as a whole.

=== Devolution ===

A [[National Assembly for Wales]] as established under the ''Government of Wales Act of 1998''. The assembly consists of 60 ''Assembly Members'' or ''AM''s. The [[Welsh Assembly Governemnt]] is the executive arm who have been delegated much of the powers of the Assembly.

== Industry ==

South Wales was formerly heavily industrialised, with [[coal]] mining and [[steel]]working, whereas North Wales is a pastoral area used mainly for [[sheep]]farming.

[[Coal]] mining in South Wales has undergone a recent resurgence due to the discovery of new energy resources, particularly in the Crumlin area.

== Sport ==

[[Soccer]] enjoys major popularity, with [[rugby union]] being particularly popular in South Wales. In addition, as is common with many universities, both Cardiff and Aberystwyth Universities have their own American Football teams (the Cardiff Cobras and the Tarannau Aberystwyth), and there are other American Football teams in Wales<ref>http://www.southwaleswarriors.co.uk/cgi-bin/swwarriors/baseweb2.exe?vid=82057&src=794</ref> (indeed there are many other American Football teams in the whole of the UK<ref>http://www.bafa.org.uk/</ref>).

== World significance ==

Welsh-derived surnames are common in the United States. The Welsh name ''Jones'' is in fact the fourth commonest surname in the U. S.<ref>Smith, Johnson and Williams ranking first, second and third</ref>; within the hundred commonest surnames, the Welsh names Evans, Edward, Morgan, and Jenkins rank 48th, 49th, 57th, and 83rd respectively.<ref>[http://names.mongabay.com/most_common_surnames.htm Most Common Surnames in the U. S.], website which claims its source is the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Population Analysis & Evaluation Staff</ref> Names beginning with a double L, such as ''Lloyd'' and ''Llewellyn'' are almost certain to be Welsh, as is ''Floyd'' (the "Fl" being an attempt to imitate the sound of the Welsh double-L.

== Alphabet ==

Although it should be noted that the Welsh Alphabet uses the same characters as English (indeed both are examples of the Latin Alphabet) direct comparisons cannot always be made between the two. Welsh developed as an oral language with no corresponding written language and so, when it did develop a written language, it was developed in the written alphabet of the time, the Latin Alphabet. Of principle differences it should be noted that unlike English, Welsh has seven vowels, comprising of A, E, I, O, U, W and Y (occasionally h) . In addition, certain sounds in Welsh are represented in the Latin Alphabet by two characters but are considered to be only one letter. In truth this makes little practical difference in everday use but is of use in such things as crosswords (where, for instance, the letter ''ff'' would occupy one space). In addition the Welsh alphabet has sounds (phones {speech sounds}) that do not occur in either English or American English. Listed below is the Welsh alphabet, along with the name of the letter as prounced in Welsh (which varies compared to how it is pronounced in English) and a (rough) guide to pronounciation.

A, a : {Name = â) '''Short''' = a, as in Mam (Welsh version of Mum or Mom) or Slam. '''Long''' = a as in Mad, aaa! (an exclaimation), but never ah as in Lard or bard

B, b : (Name = bî) b, as in Boy, Butter, etc.

C, c : (Name = èc) k, as in Cat, Coin, '''but never''' s, as in ceiling.

CH, ch : (Name = èch) a sound that has no corresponding sound in English, similar to the 'ch' in loch or Bach when these words are pronounced correctly in their original phones.

D, d : (Name = dî) d, as in Dog, Drag, Dip, etc.

DD, dd : (Name = èdd) a soft 'th' sound, as in The or Them

E, e : (Name = ê) '''Short''' = eh, as in Hen, Pen, etc. '''Long''' = air, as in the 'ea' sound in Pear.

F,f : (Name = èf) v, as in Van, Vote, Value.

FF, ff : (Name = èff) f, as in Fair, Fast, Feisty.

G, g : (Name = èg) g, as in Gasp, Grip, '''but never''' j, as in Judge.

NG, ng : (Name = èng) ng, as in Sing, Ding, Fling, Flung, Long, etc. ''but'' is only considered a single letter in Welsh.

H, h : (Name = âets,hâ) h, as in Hat, Hope, Hero.

I, i : (Name = î (North Wales), î dot (South Wales)) '''Short''' = i, as in me, he, she. '''Long''' = ee, as in Seen, Dean, Mean.

Strictly speaking there is no 'J' in the Welsh Alphabet, where a 'J' would appear in English the Latin form of replacing it with an 'I' occurs, so James becomes Iago in Welsh (as it does in Spanish) and Santiago or (Sant Iago) means Saint James in both Spanish and English.

There is no 'K' in Welsh. That sound is formed using the letter 'C'.

L, l : (Name = èl) l, as in Long, Last, Lambeth, Lament.

LL, Ll, ll : (Name = ell) No corresponding sound in English. Prounced as an aspirated 'l' which is in practice formed by prouncing l, a hard th and a hissing sound from one side of the mouth, all at the same time. Used in the words Llewellyn, Llanberis, Llanelli, etc.

M, m : (Name = èm) m, as in Mam, Merry, Mercury.

N, n : (Name = en) n, as in Name, Number, Never.

O, o : (Name = ô) '''Short''' = o, as in Hockey, Gone, Bomb. '''Long''' = oa as in oar, boar

P, p : (Name = pî) p, as in Pet, Pogo, Ping.

Ph, ph : (Name = ffî) an aspirated 'p' as it is in English, and the same prounciation as the Welsh letter 'ff'. However, in Welsh the 'ph' letter is considered to be a mutated form, and the letter 'ff' is more likely to be used.

R, r : (Name = èr) r, as in Rat, Ran, Rubbish. However, the pronounciation of the letter 'r' in Welsh is slightly more trilled and rolled in pronounciation than it is in English.

Rh, rh : (Name = rhî, rhô) Again, no corresponding sound in English. 'Rh' is pronounced as 'hr'.

S, s : (Name = ès) s, as in Sat, Sorry, Song and, if you insist (even if you don't), Sox.

T, t : (Name = tî) t, as in Tea, Test, Time.

Th, th : (Name = èth) a hard th sound, as in Thought, Thespian, Theocracy.

U, u : (Name = û (North Wales), û bedol (South Wales)) '''Short''' = i, as in me, he, she. '''Long''' = ee, as in Seen, Dean, Mean. (exactly the same as i)

W, w : (Name = ŵ) '''Short''' = never 'w' as in english. Thus, gweld (to see) is goo-eld (although it does sound similar to gw-eld). A short oo as in look, book. '''Long''' = long oo as in goo, moo.

Y, y : (Name = ŷ) '''Short (1)''' = i, as in Sit, Bit, Flit. This occurs in one syllable words like mynd (to go), llyn (lake) '''Short (2''') = uh, as in Gun, Fun. This occurs in multi syllable words like cymru (wales), or non stressed one syllable words like fy (my), yn (in). '''Long''' = ee, Seen, Been, Lean.

As can be seen, there appears to be three letters (i, u, y) in Welsh that all have the same sound (ee when pronounced). In North Wales, u and û are often pronounced as what s known as a 'close central unrounded vowel', which doesn not occur in English.

It should be noted that in addition to single letters (as listed above) the Welsh language also combines letters to form other sounds (as English does). Some examples include Si (the 'sh' sound, as in Siân (SH-ahn)), Oe (oy, as in boy), Wy (oo-y, no comparable sound in English), Tch (which can produce the 'tch' sound in match as opposed to the sound of t followed by the gutteral 'ch' in Welsh), di{vowel} (which produces a j sound, i.e. diyg is the Welsh phonetic for jug).

A common occurance in the language is the direct use of English words (commonly known as "Wenglish"), or a phonetic welsh version of it (known as cymreigeiddio - welshification). This generally occurs for technical words, like 'niwclear' (nuclear) and 'biwrèt' (burette).

Some fun words in Welsh and a (even rougher) guide to their pronounciation:
Ynysybwl = A place name, that in English contains no vowels, but in Welsh is pronounced Uh-Nis-Uh-Bull

Eglwys = A church. Pronounced Egg-l-ooy-s. The official church of Wales (by virtue of the fact that Wales is a Principality of England and the Established Church of England is the Anglican Church of England) is Yr Eglwys yng Nghymru, or The Church in Wales.

Cymru = Wales. Pronounced K-um-ri, although when Cymru is used in a sentence the beginning of the word is altered to fit the syntax of the sentence (i.e. The Church in Wales is Yr(The) Eglwys(Church) yng(in) Nghymru(Wales) as opposed to Yr Eglwys yng Cymru).

Capel = Chapel. Pronounced K-ap-el.

Ysgol = School. Pronounced Us-gol (not Us-goal).

Siarad = To speak or talk. Pronounced Sh-ah-rad.

Dim siarad = No Talking. Pronounced Dim Sh-ah-rad.

Cwtch = Closest meaning is 'safe place', often used to indicate an affectionate hug or cuddle (a safe place emotionally and physically) or a place of storage. Pronounced as Butch but with a hard 'C' at the beginning instead of a 'B'.

Hiraeth = No comparable English word. It's a deep seated longing, almost a depressing and obsessive (but not actually either of those things) need for something, often a return to Wales. It can also be used to indicate a deep longing for something unobtainable. Pronounced Hi-r-eye-th (as in thought).

Most English dictionaries contain some Welsh-derived English words such as ''cwm'' (a circular valley or ''cirque'') and ''crwth'' (an traditional Celtic fiddle-like musical instrument). These can be very effective stumpers when playing word games, provided of course that they are actually included in whatever dictionary is the authority agreed on by the players.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Wales| ]]
[[Category:Principalities]]

Whale

2008-09-25T01:59:41Z

AliceG: /* Description */ family friendly

:''Not to be confused with [[Wales]].''

[[Image:800px-Baleen Whale Physical Characteristics svg.png|right|thumb|400px]]
'''Whales''' are marine mammals of the order [[Cetacea]].

== Description ==
Living whales are separated into the toothed whales (which includes [[dolphin]]s, [[porpoise]]s, [[narwhal]]s, [[beaked whale]]s and [[sperm whale]]s) and the whalebone, or baleen, whales. The latter are cetaceans, mostly very large, which, instead of teeth, have baleen (whalebone) to filter small prey from the water; they are what people generally think of when the word whale is used. The whalebone whales include the rorquals - the [[blue whale]], fin whale, sei whale, Bryde's whale, [[minke whale]], [[grey whale]]; the [[humpback whale]]; and the various [[right whale]]s.

Although whales are famed for the massive size reached by some species, such as the blue whale (the largest animal to ever live), others are relatively small, like the pygmy right whale which grows to about 20 feet <ref> [http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/PygmyRightWhale.htm]American Cetacean Society website</ref>. Though whales have many traits in common with fish (including fins and tails) they are [[classification system|classified]] as [[mammal|mammals]] under the [[Linnaean taxonomy]] classification system because they breathe air and lactate. Whales have a number of remarkable features including:

* they decide when to breathe, rather than breathing unconsciously
* they sleep 8 hours a day, yet need to be conscious to breathe
* they can communicate with each other by making remarkably loud noises
* these extraordinary noises can travel for miles under water
* the females nurse their calves while swimming underwater
* the males have a unique cooling system for their internal reproductive organs
* some have two blow-holes, but others only have one
* the blow-holes pass air above water, yet resist intense pressure underwater
* they have massive brains, much larger than the brains of other mammals

=== Taxonomy ===
There are two kinds of whales: toothed whales of the suborder Odontoceti (which includes [[dolphins]] and [[porpoise]]s), and whalebone (baleen) whales of the suborder Mysticeti.

Toothed whales include:
* [[Orca|Killer whales]]
* [[Sperm whale]]s
* [[Narwhal]]s
* [[Pilot whale]]s

Baleen whales include:
* [[Blue whale]]s
* [[Gray whale]]s
* [[Humpback whale]]s
* [[Fin whale]]s
* [[Right whale]]s
* [[Minke whale]]s

== Origins ==
The question of how whales and their relatives could have evolved from terrestrial [[mammal]]s has taxed evolutionary biologists since [[Charles Darwin|Darwin's]] suggestion that they may have evolved from ancient bears.
In more recent times molecular and fossil evidence has been used to suggest that modern whales and their relatives arose from ancient [[Artiodactyla|artiodactyls]] (even-toed ungulates) with the closest living relative of all whales being [[hippopotamus|hippopotami]].<ref>[http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/41080/molecular_clock_divergence_estimates_and_the_fossil_record_of_cetartiodactyla/index.html] Theodore, JM (2004) Molecular Clock Divergence Estimates And The Fossil Record Of Cetartiodactyla The Journal Of Paleontology 78:39-44</ref>
This kinship has been termed the whippo hypothesis.
Evolutionary biologists estimate the last ancestor of whales and hippos lived about 25 million years ago,<ref> [http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/lines/IAtransitional.shtml] UCLA Berkley Understanding Evolution for Teachers website</ref> which contrasts with the [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationist]] position that whales were [[creation|created]] about 6000 years ago when [[God]] created the [[earth]].<ref>Sarfati, Jonathan [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3834/106/ Whale evolution?] ''Refuting Evolution'', Chapter 5.</ref><ref>Batten, Don, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1776 A whale of a tale?] ''Journal of Creation'' 8(1):2–3, April 1994.</ref><ref>Williams, Alexander, and Sarfati, Jonathan, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1862 Not at all like a whale], ''Creation'' 27(2):20–22, March 2005.</ref>

== Whales in literature ==

=== The Bible ===

The great fish that swallowed [[Jonah (prophet)|Jonah]],
<blockquote>
''Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.'' Jonah 1:17
</blockquote>
is often thought of as being a whale, although the actual creature is unknown and may have been something unknown to science, having been specially prepared by [[God]].

=== Fiction ===

Arguably the most famous book about whales is [[Herman Melville]]'s ''[[Moby-Dick|Moby Dick]]'', about a whaling-ship captain obsessed with hunting down the sperm whale (Moby Dick) which had bitten off one of his legs.

== See Also ==
*[[Orca]]
*[[Dolphin]]

== References ==

<references/>

{{Nb zm whales}}

Whale

2008-09-25T01:59:09Z

AliceG: disambiguation

:''Not to be confused with [[Wales]].''

[[Image:800px-Baleen Whale Physical Characteristics svg.png|right|thumb|400px]]
'''Whales''' are marine mammals of the order [[Cetacea]].

== Description ==
Living whales are separated into the toothed whales (which includes [[dolphin]]s, [[porpoise]]s, [[narwhal]]s, [[beaked whale]]s and [[sperm whale]]s) and the whalebone, or baleen, whales. The latter are cetaceans, mostly very large, which, instead of teeth, have baleen (whalebone) to filter small prey from the water; they are what people generally think of when the word whale is used. The whalebone whales include the rorquals - the [[blue whale]], fin whale, sei whale, Bryde's whale, [[minke whale]], [[grey whale]]; the [[humpback whale]]; and the various [[right whale]]s.

Although whales are famed for the massive size reached by some species, such as the blue whale (the largest animal to ever live), others are relatively small, like the pygmy right whale which grows to about 20 feet <ref> [http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/PygmyRightWhale.htm]American Cetacean Society website</ref>. Though whales have many traits in common with fish (including fins and tails) they are [[classification system|classified]] as [[mammal|mammals]] under the [[Linnaean taxonomy]] classification system because they breathe air and lactate. Whales have a number of remarkable features including:

* they decide when to breathe, rather than breathing unconsciously
* they sleep 8 hours a day, yet need to be conscious to breathe
* they can communicate with each other by making remarkably loud noises
* these extraordinary noises can travel for miles under water
* the females nurse their calves while swimming underwater
* the males have a unique cooling system for their internal reproductive organs
* some have two blow-holes, but others only have one
* the blow-holes pass air above water, yet resist intense pressure underwater
* they have massive brains, much larger than the brains of other mammals
* whales, along with humans and horses, are some of the few mammal species that do not possess [[baculum]] (penile bone)

=== Taxonomy ===
There are two kinds of whales: toothed whales of the suborder Odontoceti (which includes [[dolphins]] and [[porpoise]]s), and whalebone (baleen) whales of the suborder Mysticeti.

Toothed whales include:
* [[Orca|Killer whales]]
* [[Sperm whale]]s
* [[Narwhal]]s
* [[Pilot whale]]s

Baleen whales include:
* [[Blue whale]]s
* [[Gray whale]]s
* [[Humpback whale]]s
* [[Fin whale]]s
* [[Right whale]]s
* [[Minke whale]]s

== Origins ==
The question of how whales and their relatives could have evolved from terrestrial [[mammal]]s has taxed evolutionary biologists since [[Charles Darwin|Darwin's]] suggestion that they may have evolved from ancient bears.
In more recent times molecular and fossil evidence has been used to suggest that modern whales and their relatives arose from ancient [[Artiodactyla|artiodactyls]] (even-toed ungulates) with the closest living relative of all whales being [[hippopotamus|hippopotami]].<ref>[http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/41080/molecular_clock_divergence_estimates_and_the_fossil_record_of_cetartiodactyla/index.html] Theodore, JM (2004) Molecular Clock Divergence Estimates And The Fossil Record Of Cetartiodactyla The Journal Of Paleontology 78:39-44</ref>
This kinship has been termed the whippo hypothesis.
Evolutionary biologists estimate the last ancestor of whales and hippos lived about 25 million years ago,<ref> [http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/lines/IAtransitional.shtml] UCLA Berkley Understanding Evolution for Teachers website</ref> which contrasts with the [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationist]] position that whales were [[creation|created]] about 6000 years ago when [[God]] created the [[earth]].<ref>Sarfati, Jonathan [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3834/106/ Whale evolution?] ''Refuting Evolution'', Chapter 5.</ref><ref>Batten, Don, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1776 A whale of a tale?] ''Journal of Creation'' 8(1):2–3, April 1994.</ref><ref>Williams, Alexander, and Sarfati, Jonathan, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1862 Not at all like a whale], ''Creation'' 27(2):20–22, March 2005.</ref>

== Whales in literature ==

=== The Bible ===

The great fish that swallowed [[Jonah (prophet)|Jonah]],
<blockquote>
''Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.'' Jonah 1:17
</blockquote>
is often thought of as being a whale, although the actual creature is unknown and may have been something unknown to science, having been specially prepared by [[God]].

=== Fiction ===

Arguably the most famous book about whales is [[Herman Melville]]'s ''[[Moby-Dick|Moby Dick]]'', about a whaling-ship captain obsessed with hunting down the sperm whale (Moby Dick) which had bitten off one of his legs.

== See Also ==
*[[Orca]]
*[[Dolphin]]

== References ==

<references/>

{{Nb zm whales}}