© 2024 All Rights reserved WUSF
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

A 14-foot Jawbone Of Endangered Whale Discovered

By Associated Press

An almost 14-foot (4-meter) jawbone believed to be from a right whale is now in a museum after a boater spotted it on a barrier island off Florida's Atlantic Coast.

The Tampa Bay Times reports the bone was taken to the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville last month. The jawbone was discovered near Jacksonville.

Museum officials say it appears to be a left mandible, which is part of the jawbone. DNA tests are underway to determine if the bone is indeed from a right whale. There are only about 450 right whales left in the world.

The museum currently has a right mandible from a right whale, which was found in 1907.

Florida Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Michelle Kerr says it was a "rare, unique discovery."

You Count on Us, We Count on You: Donate to WUSF to support free, accessible journalism for yourself and the community.