Antique Open Ended Sperm Whale Tooth. Unmarked and uncarved specimen. 

Size: 2 x 2 x 3 1/4 in. 

The toothed whales (also called odontocetes, systematic name Odontoceti) are a parvorder of cetaceans that includes dolphins, porpoises, and all other whales with teeth, such as beaked whales and the sperm whales. Seventy-three species of toothed whales are known to still exist, with many more now extinct or likely nearly so, and they are one of only two living groups of cetaceans that diverged around 34 million years ago, the other being the baleen whales (Mysticeti), which have comb-like baleen instead of teeth. Toothed whales range in size from just over four feet to over sixty feet in length, and from just over one hundred pounds to over one hundred tons, with some able to travel at up to thirty knots. Once hunted for their products, including spermaceti and their strong teeth, cetaceans are now protected by international law, and small odontocetes, mainly dolphins and orcas, are kept in captivity and trained to perform tricks, although they rarely thrive under these conditions. Some species are very intelligent, and many have been saved through preservation in aquatic preserves, theme parks, and other conservation efforts, demonstrating remarkably human emotions including depression, fear, anger, compassion, and even self-recognition/self-awareness. Toothed whales in particular have featured in legend, literature, and modern film, as in the great white sperm whale of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, and the collection of fossils, scrimshawed bones, and whale-watching are still popular activities among collectors and tourists around the world.

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