Fucaia humilis: A Mysticete Whale from the Latest Eocene of Washington State.

Modern Mysticete Whales are noteworthy for the presence of a keratinous baleen, which they use as a filter feeding device, having lost all conventional dentition. The earliest members of the group, which retained teeth, first appeared in the Late Eocene, with the group undergoing a significant diversification event in the Oligocene. To date, only two species of Mysticete Whales are known from the Eocene, both from the Southern Hemisphere (one from Peru and one from Antarctica). This has led to the hypothesis that the Mysticetes are of Southern Hemisphere origin, and that the Oligocene radiation within the group is likely to have been driven by the End Eocene opening of a seaway between Antarctica and South America, and the subsequent formation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which in turn led to a Southern Ocean with superabundant and highly-concentrated nutrients, an environment which could have favoured the evolution of the baleen filter-feeding system. 

In a paper published in the journal Current Biology on 28 March 2024, Cheng-Hsiu Tsai of the Department of Life Science and Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the National Taiwan University, and the Department of Geology at the Japanese National Museum of Nature and Science, James Goedert of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington, and  Robert Boessenecker, formerly of the Charleston Center for Paleontology*, describe a third species of Eocene Mysticete Whale, from the Lincoln Creek Formation of Washington State, the first known Mysticete Whale from the Eocene of the Northern Hemisphere.

The new species is placed in the genus Fucaia, which contains two previously described species from the Oligocene of the northwest coast of North America, and given the specific name humilis, meaning 'humble', in reference to the apparent minor role of Mysticete Whales in Eocene ecosystems. The new species is described from a single specimen (UWBM  109363), comprising posterior portion of a skull with right periotic and bulla attached, partial mandible, and the hyoid apparatus.

Geological column and species of Fucaia.  (A) Geological occurrences of Fucaia spp. in Washington State, USA. (B) Dorsal view of Fucaia goedertorum (NTUM-VP 240224, cast of the holotype); (C) dorsal view of Fucaia humilis (UWBM 109363); (D) ventral view of Fucaia goedertorum (NTUM-VP 240224, cast of the holotype); (E) and ventral view of Fucaia humilis (UWBM 109363). Tsai et al. (2024).

The precise location that the specimen was collected from is not given, but is described as being a site on the Middle Fork of the Satsop River, Mason County, dated to 34.5 million years before the present, which is 600 000 years before the Eocene/Oligocene boundary.

(A) The stratigraphic and geological interpretations of the Fucaia humilis discovery site, and (B) field photo, August 2023. Tsai et al. (2024).

Based upon the size of the specimen, the living Whale is estimated to have been between 286 and 206 cm in length, which is fairly typical for small Aetiocetid Whales (the group of toothed Mysticete Whales to which the genus Fucaia belongs).

The discovery of Fucaia humilis in deposits dated to the Latest Eocene of North America has serious implications for our understanding of the evolution of Mysticete Whales. Both previously described Eocene Mysticete Whales came from the Southern Hemisphere, which led palaeontologists to the conclusion that the group came from that part of the world, and that the subsequent Oligocene radiation of Mysticete Whales was driven by events there, notably the formation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

Phylogenetic relationships of Fucaia humilis. Tsai et al. (2024).

The presence of a member of the genus Fucaia, which has been found nowhere else, on the Pacific Northwest of North America in the Latest Eocene suggests a presence of Aetiocetid Whales in this region for around 10 million years, whereas the occurrence of toothed Mysticete Whales in other parts of the world appears to have been somewhat sporadic, with Whales only present some of the time, gaps in the record, and a high turnover of genera, implying unstable environments intermittently colonised by Whales. Notably, the appearance of Fucaia humilis appears to coincide with the development of a Kelp forest ecosystem in this area, something which persists to this day. Kelp forests provide a stable, nutrient rich environment, which was apparently favourable to small Aetiocetid Whales. 

*Robert Boessenecker was arrested on 14 March 2024 along with his wife, the former museum collection manager at the Mace Brown Natural History Museum, accused of stealing fossils with a value of US$8634 from the collection of the Mace Brown Museum when both were employed there.

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Fireball meteor over Washington and British Columbia.

Witnesses in Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington State have reported observing a bright fireball meteor slightly 11.00 pm local time on Saturday 3 June 2023 (slightly before 6.00 am on Sunday 7 June, GMT). The fireball is described as having moved from south to north, entering the atmosphere over Washington State and disappearing over British Columbia. A fireball is defined as a meteor (shooting star) brighter than the planet Venus. These are typically caused by pieces of rock burning up in the atmosphere, but can be the result of man-made space-junk burning up on re-entry. 

The 3 June 2023 fireball seen from Hansville in Washington State. Greg Johnson/Skunk Bay Weather/American Meteor Society.

Objects of this size probably enter the Earth's atmosphere several times a year, though unless they do so over populated areas they are unlikely to be noticed. They are officially described as fireballs if they produce a light brighter than the planet Venus. The brightness of a meteor is caused by friction with the Earth's atmosphere, which is typically far greater than that caused by simple falling, due to the initial trajectory of the object. Such objects typically eventually explode in an airburst called by the friction, causing them to vanish as an luminous object. However, this is not the end of the story as such explosions result in the production of a number of smaller objects, which fall to the ground under the influence of gravity (which does not cause the luminescence associated with friction-induced heating).

Heat map showing areas where sightings of the meteor were reported (warmer colours indicate more sightings), and the apparent path of the object (blue arrow). American Meteor Society.

These 'dark objects' do not continue along the path of the original bolide, but neither do they fall directly to the ground, but rather follow a course determined by the atmospheric currents (winds) through which the objects pass. Scientists are able to calculate potential trajectories for hypothetical dark objects derived from meteors using data from weather monitoring services.

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Dreissena polymorpha: United States Geological Survey finds invasive Zebra Mussels in pet stores in 21 states.

A citizen’s report of an invasive Zebra Mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, found in an aquarium Moss package found in a pet store prompted a United States Geological Survey expert on invasive aquatic species to trigger nationwide alerts that have led to the discovery of the destructive shellfish in pet stores in at least 21 states from Alaska to Florida, according to a press release issued on 8 March 2021.

Amid concerns that the ornamental aquarium Moss balls containing Zebra Mussels may have accidentally spread the pest to areas where it has not been seen before, federal agencies, states, and the pet store industry are working together to remove the Moss balls from pet store shelves nationwide. They have also drawn up instructions for people who bought the moss balls or have them in aquariums to carefully decontaminate them, destroying any Zebra Mussels and larvae they contain using one of these methods: freezing them for at least 24 hours, placing them in boiling water for at least one minute, placing them in diluted chlorine bleach, or submerging them in undiluted white vinegar for at least 20 minutes. The decontamination instructions were developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the USGS and representatives of the pet industry.  

 

A Moss ball sold in pet stores containing an invasive Zebra Mussel. USGS.

Zebra Mussels are an invasive, fingernail-sized Mollusc native to freshwaters in Eurasia. They clog water intakes for power and water plants, block water control structures, and damage fishing and boating equipment, at great cost. The federal government, state agencies, fishing and boating groups and others have worked extensively to control their spread. 

In 1990, in response to the first wave of Zebra Mussel invasions, the USGS set up its Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, which tracks sightings of about 1270 non-native aquatic Plants and Animals nationwide, including Zebra Mussels. State and local wildlife managers use the database to find and eliminate or control potentially harmful species. 

The coordinator of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, USGS fisheries biologist Wesley Daniel, learned about the presence of Zebra Mussels in Moss balls on 2 March and alerted others nationwide about the issue. Moss balls are ornamental plants imported from Ukraine that are often added to aquariums. 

'The issue is that somebody who purchased the Moss ball and then disposed of them could end up introducing Zebra Mussels into an environment where they weren’t present before,' Daniel said. 'We’ve been working with many agencies on boat inspections and gear inspections, but this was not a pathway we’d been aware of until now.'

On 25 February, an employee of a pet store in Seattle, Washington, filed a report to the database that the employee had recently recognised a Zebra Mussel in a Moss ball. Daniel requested confirming information and a photograph and received it a few days later.

Daniel immediately notified the aquatic invasive species coordinator for Washington State and contacted invasive species managers at the USGS and USFWS. He visited a pet store in Gainesville, Florida, and found a Zebra Mussel in a Moss ball there. At that point federal non-indigenous species experts realized the issue was extensive. 

The USFWS is coordinating the response along with the USGS. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, several state wildlife agencies and an industry group, the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, are also taking steps to mitigate the problem. National alerts have gone out from the USFWS, the federal Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force and regional aquatic invasive species management groups. Reports of Zebra Mussels in Moss balls have come from Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, Washington and Wyoming. 

'I think this was a great test of the rapid-response network that we have been building,' Daniel said. 'In two days, we had a coordinated state, federal and industry response.'

 

A batch of Zebra Mussels attached to the boat anchor in the St. Lawrence River in New York in May 2018. USGS.

The USGS is also studying potential methods to help control zebra mussels that are already established in the environment, such as low-dose copper applications, carbon dioxide and microparticle delivery of toxicants.  

Sightings of Zebra Mussel or other non-indigenous aquatic Plants or Animals in the US can be reported here.

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Fireball Meteor over Puget Sound..

The American Meteor Society has received reports of a bright fireball meteor being seen over Puget Sound in Washington State, slightly before 7.00 pm local time on Wednesday 6 May 2020 (slightly before 2.00 am on Thursday 7 May GMT). The meteor passed over the Sound from west to east, disappearing somewhere to the northeast of Seattle. A fireball is defined as a meteor (shooting star) brighter than the planet Venus. These are typically caused by pieces of rock burning up in the atmosphere, but may be the result of man-made space-junk burning up on re-entry. 

Heat map of the Puget Sound area showing areas where sightings of the meteor were reported (warmer colours indicate more sightings), and the apparent path of the object (blue arrow). American Meteor Society.

Objects of this size probably enter the Earth's atmosphere several times a year, though unless they do so over populated areas they are unlikely to be noticed. They are officially described as fireballs if they produce a light brighter than the planet Venus. The brightness of a meteor is caused by friction with the Earth's atmosphere, which is typically far greater than that caused by simple falling, due to the initial trajectory of the object. Such objects typically eventually explode in an airburst called by the friction, causing them to vanish as an luminous object. However this is not the end of the story as such explosions result in the production of a number of smaller objects, which fall to the ground under the influence of gravity (which does not cause the luminescence associated with friction-induced heating).

 

These 'dark objects' do not continue along the path of the original bolide, but neither do they fall directly to the ground, but rather follow a course determined by the atmospheric currents (winds) through which the objects pass. Scientists are able to calculate potential trajectories for hypothetical dark objects derived from meteors using data from weather monitoring services.

 

Witness reports can help astronomers to understand these events. If you witness a fireball-type meteor over the US you can report it to the American Meteor Society here. 

 

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Millions of Moon Jellyfish seen in Puget Sound.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reported a vast swarm of Moon Jellyfish, Aurelia sp., in Washington State's Puget Sound. The Jellyfish have been growing in numbers since mid September, in a population boom fuelled by unseasonably warm waters, combined with a high nutrient level in the Sound, which can in turn be traced to high rainfall levels on land, caused by higher evaporation from the warm water. Although the number of Jellyfish in the Sound is startling, there is little cause for concern, as, while Moon Jellyfish can sting, their venom is not generally strong enough to cause a serious health risk to Humans.

Thousands of Moon Jellyfish, Aurelia sp., in the water near the dock of the Orcas Island Yacht Club in Eastsound. Rachel Jitabebe Robert/KomoNews.

Members of the genus Aurelia are inshore Jellyfish found in coastal waters in tropical, subtropical and temperate seas around the world. They are large Jellyfish, reaching a maximum size of about 40 cm in diameter, a slight purplish tinge and four large, horseshoe-shaped gonads. Moon Jellyfish often undergo major blooms in the summer months, due to their tolerance for low oxygen conditions, which are harmful to most of their competitors and predators (Fish and large invertebrates), enabling them to dominate environments where these animals are excluded. This tends to lead to summer blooms in enclosed areas (heat and lack of exchange with the open ocean can rapidly deplete oxygen levels), which can be worse in areas where pollution from agriculture or other Human activities leads to eutrophication (excess nutrients which can lead to eutrophication and the rapid growth of blooms of Algae, Bacteria or other micro-organisms, which absorb oxygen from the water leading Fish and other aquatic organisms to asphyxiate). 

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Washington woman hospitalised by Octopus bite.

A woman from Washington State is being treated in hospital after being bitten by an Octopus. Jamie Bisceglia placed the animal onto her face for a photograph during a Salmon fishing competition at Tacoma Narrows on Saturday 3 August 2019, causing it to sow its disapproval by biting her on the chin, and refuse to let go. Eventually the Cephalopod was pried off, leaving Ms Bisceglia bleeding but not obviously seriously hurt. However two days later she checked into a local hospital with a paralysed face and swelling, and is now being treated with antibiotics.

Washington Salmon fisher Jamie Bisceglia posing with an Octopus on her face. Jamie Bisceglia/Instagram.

Despite being soft bodied invertebrates lacking a skeleton, Octopus do have some hard parts, notably a tough, chitinous beak, and a tooth covered radula (tongue). The saliva of Octopus is a neurotoxin (in some species a very potent one), something which enables them to subdue large, potentially dangerous, prey items very quickly (some Octopus species will attack Sharks). This makes Octopus potentially very dangerous to handle, although we are not natural prey items and an Octopus will usually try to avoid us or use its ink to mount a quick escape; an Octopus unable to escape in any other way can deliver a painful and potentially very debilitating diet, with some species capable of killing a Human.

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Three major Earthquakes off the west coast of British Columbia.

Natural Resources Canada recorded a series of three Earthquakes at a depth of 10 km about 200 km off the west coast of British Columbia on 21/22 October 2018, with the first occurring slightly before 10.40 pm local time on Sunday 21 October (slightly before 5.40 am on Monday 22 October GMT), and having a Magnitude of 6.5 , the second occurring slightly after 11.15 pm local time (slightly after 6.15 am GMT), and having a Magnitude of 6.8, and the third occurring slightly after 11.20 pm local time (slightly after 6.20 am GMT) and having a Magnitude of 6.5. These events were felt along much of the coast of British Columbia and Washington State, but there are no reports of any damage or casualties.

The approximate location of the 21/22 October 2018 British Columbia Earthquakes. USGS.

Vancouver Island is located on the western margin of the North American Plate, close to the Challenger Trench, along which the Explorer and Juan de Fuca Plate are being subducted. These are two remnant parts of the ancient Farallon Plate, which formerly underlay part of the eastern Pacific, and which has now been largely subducted beneath North America. The Explorer an Juan de Fuca Plates pass under the North American Plate as they sink into the Earth, but this is not a smooth process, with the plates constantly sticking together then breaking apart as the tectonic stresses build up.

 The subduction of the Juan de Fuca Plate beneath North America. United States Geological Survey.

On this occasion the Earthquake occurred on the northern part of the Juan de Fuca Plate, close to the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The Juan de Fuca ridge marks the extensional margin between the Juan de Fuca Plate and the Pacific Plate. The Juan de Fuca Plate is thought to be a remnant of an ancient plate known as the Farallon Plate, a once vast plate now largely subducted beneath the North American Plate. There are three remnants of this plate remaining off the west coast of the US; the Juan de Fuca Plate, the Gorda Plate to the south and the Explorer Plate to the north. The Juan de Fuca Ridge was once part of the longer Farallon Ridge, which ran along the eastern margin of the Farallon Ridge before it was fractured into three parts.

 Spreading on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, and its relationship to the volcanoes of the North American west coast. Wikimedia Commons.

Witness reports can help geologists to understand the processes going on in Earthquakes and the structures in the rocks that cause them. If you felt any of these quakes you can report it to Natural Resources Canada here.

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