Baleen whales are a widely distributed and diverse parvorder of carnivorous marine mammals. They include 15 species from the families Balaenidae (including right whales), Cetotheriidae (the pygmy right whale), Eschrichtiidae (the gray whale), and Balaenopteridae (the rorquals, including the blue whale, the largest animal on earth). Cetaceans were thought to have descended from the extinct mesonychids, but molecular evidence supports their descent from even-toed ungulates. Baleen whales split from toothed whales around 34 million years ago. The meat, blubber, baleen, and oil of baleen whales have traditionally been used by the indigenous peoples of the Arctic. Once relentlessly hunted by commercial industries for these products, cetaceans are now protected by international law, but Japan, Norway and Iceland continue to catch whales for various purposes. Baleen whales also face threats from marine pollution, ocean acidification, collisions with ships, and entanglement in nets. Sonar can cause strandings and disrupt their communication. They have rarely survived for long in captivity.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baleen_whale

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

663:

The Daming Palace (reconstructed gate pictured) became the government seat and royal residence of the Tang empire during Emperor Gaozong's reign. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daming_Palace

1257:

Kraków in Poland received city rights based on the Magdeburg law. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w

1899:

Antonio Luna was assassinated in the midst of the Philippine–American War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Luna

1941:

Second Sino-Japanese War: During one sortie in a five-year bombing campaign on Chongqing, 4,000 people died of asphyxiation when the tunnel they were hiding in became blocked. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Chongqing

1976:

The Teton Dam in eastern Idaho, US, collapsed as its reservoir was being filled for the first time, resulting in the deaths of eleven people and 13,000 cattle, and causing up to $2 billion in damage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teton_Dam

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

geocide: The destruction of the earth, its ecosystems, or some part thereof, due to human activity. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/geocide

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Once we realize we are all members of humanity, we will want to compete in the spirit of love. In a competition of love we would not be running against one another, but with one another. We would be trying to gain victory for all humanity. If I am a faster runner than you, you may feel bad seeing me pass you in the race, but if you know that we are both racing to make our world better, you will feel good knowing that we are racing toward a common goal, a mutual reward. In a competition of love we'll all share in the victory, no matter who comes first.   --Muhammad Ali https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali