A bstract A school of 41 sperm whales, Physeter macrocephalus , that stranded near the mouth of the Siuslaw River, Oregon (43°59′N, 124°08′W), on 16 June 1979 consisted of 13 males and 28 females. Their ages were estimated by assuming that each postnatal dentin layer represents one year. The males were all sub‐adults, 9.3–11.5 m long and 14–21 yr old. The females were 9.3–11.4 m long, and 11 to about 58 yr old. Ten females were dissected; nine were sexually mature and three were carrying fetuses 2.64–4.62 m long. None of the 28 females was visibly lactating.
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Rice et al. (1986) studied this question.
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