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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Eva Corlett in Wellington

Scientists dissect ‘world’s rarest whale’ for clues on little-known species

New Zealand
The spade-toothed whale (the world's rarest) being examined. Ōtākou rūnaka representatives and scientists take external measurements of the spade-toothed whale. new Zealand
In New Zealand, scientists and Māori with customary authority for the region will conduct a five-day examination of the spade-tooth whale. Photograph: Department of Conservation NZ

A spade-tooth whale – thought to be the world’s rarest whale species – is undergoing dissection in New Zealand, in the first ever examination of a complete specimen.

Spade-toothed whales are a type of beaked whale named for their teeth resembling the spade-like flensing blade once used to strip whales of their blubber. Just seven have been documented since the 1800s, with all but one found in New Zealand.

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