Editing Blubber

{{short description|Thick layer of animal body fat}}
{{Other uses|Blubber (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
[[File:Whale blubber.jpg|300px|thumb|Whale blubber]]
'''Blubber''' is a thick layer of [[Blood vessel|vascular]]ized [[adipose tissue]] under the skin of all [[cetacea]]ns, [[pinniped]]s, [[penguin]]s, and [[sirenia]]ns. It was present in many [[marine reptile]]s, such as [[Ichthyosauria|ichthyosaurs]] and [[plesiosaur]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-12-05 |title=Incredible Jurassic ichthyosaur fossil still has skin and blubber |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/incredible-jurassic-ichthyosaur-fossil-preserves-skin-blubber |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=Science |language=en}}</ref>

==Description==
[[Lipid]]-rich, [[collagen]] fiber-laced blubber comprises the [[Subcutaneous tissue|hypodermis]]<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1002/jmor.10154 |title=Blubber development in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) |year=2004 |last1=Struntz |first1=D.J. |last2=McLellan |first2=W.A. |last3=Dillaman |first3=R.M. |last4=Blum |first4=J.E. |last5=Kucklick |first5=J.R. |last6=Pabst |first6=D.A. |journal=Journal of Morphology |volume=259 |pages=7–20 |pmid=14666521 |issue=1|s2cid=24897702 }}</ref> and covers the whole body, except for parts of the appendages. It is strongly attached to the musculature and skeleton by highly organized, fan-shaped networks of [[tendon]]s and [[ligament]]s, can comprise up to 50 per cent of the body mass of some [[marine mammal]]s during some points in their lives, and can range from {{cvt|2|in|cm|order=flip|0}} thick in dolphins and smaller whales, to more than {{cvt|12|in|cm|order=flip}} thick in some bigger whales, such as [[Right whale|right]] and [[bowhead whale]]s. However, this is not indicative of larger whales' ability to retain heat better, as the thickness of a whale's blubber does not significantly affect heat loss. More indicative of a whale's ability to retain heat is the water and lipid concentration in blubber, as water reduces heat-retaining capacities, and lipid increases them.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/0306-4565(95)00034-8 |title=Thermal conductivity of minke whale blubber |year=1996 |last1=Kvadsheim |first1=P.H. |last2=Folkow |first2=L.P. |last3=Blix |first3=A.S. |journal=Journal of Thermal Biology |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=123–8}}</ref>

==Function==
Blubber is the primary fat storage on some [[mammal]]s, specifically those that live in water. It is particularly important for species that feed and breed in different parts of the ocean. During these periods, the animals [[metabolism|metabolize]] fat. Blubber may save energy for marine mammals, such as dolphins, in that it adds [[buoyancy]] while [[Whale#Locomotion|swimming]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sciencenetlinks.net/sci_update.php?DocID=10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054320/http://www.sciencenetlinks.net/sci_update.php?DocID=10 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-09-21 |website=Science Update |title=Bouncy Blubber |publisher=AAAS }}</ref>

Blubber differs from other forms of [[adipose tissue]] in its extra thickness, which provides an efficient thermal [[Thermal insulation|insulator]], making blubber essential for [[thermoregulation]]. Blubber is more vascularized—rich in [[blood vessel]]s—than other adipose tissue.

Blubber has advantages over fur (as in [[sea otter]]s) in that, though fur retains heat by holding pockets of air, the air expels under pressure (i.e., when the animal dives). Blubber, however, does not compress under pressure. It is effective enough that some whales can dwell in temperatures as low as {{convert|40|F|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.pbs.org/oceanrealm/intheschool/school5.html | title= Secrets of the Ocean Realm | url-status= live | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170504042247/http://www.pbs.org/oceanrealm/intheschool/school5.html | archive-date= 4 May 2017}}</ref> While diving in cold water, blood vessels covering the blubber constrict and decrease blood flow, thus increasing blubber's efficiency as an insulator.<ref>{{cite book |author= Galbraith, Don|display-authors=et al |title=Biology 11 |location= Canada |publisher= McGraw-Hill Ryerson |page= 12}}</ref>

Blubber aids buoyancy and streamlines the body, because the organized, complex collagenous network supports the noncircular cross sections characteristic of cetaceans. The buoyancy of blubber could be problematic for bottom-feeding marine mammals such as [[sirenian]]s and the extinct [[Thalassocnus|marine sloths]], both of which do or probably did have limited amounts of it for that reason.<ref name="Horgan2014">{{cite journal|last1= Horgan|first1= P.|last2= Booth|first2= D.|last3= Nichols|first3= C.|last4= Lanyon|first4=J. M.|title= Insulative capacity of the integument of the dugong (''Dugong dugon''): thermal conductivity, conductance and resistance measured by in vitro heat flux|journal= Marine Biology|volume= 161|issue= 6|year= 2014|pages= 1395–1407|doi= 10.1007/s00227-014-2428-4|s2cid= 83824482}}</ref><ref name="Amson2015">{{Cite journal|last1= Amson|first1= E.|last2= Argot|first2= C.|last3= McDonald|first3=H. G.|last4=de Muizon|first4= C.|year= 2015|title= Osteology and functional morphology of the axial postcranium of the marine sloth ''Thalassocnus'' (Mammalia, Tardigrada) with paleobiological implications|journal= Journal of Mammalian Evolution|volume= 22|issue= 4|pages= 473–518|doi= 10.1007/s10914-014-9280-7|s2cid= 16700349}}</ref>

Research<ref>{{cite journal |doi= 10.1242/jeb.01559 |title= The ontogenetic changes in the thermal properties of blubber from Atlantic bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus |year=2005 |last1=Dunkin |first1=R. C. |journal=Journal of Experimental Biology |volume=208 |issue=8 |pages=1469–80 |pmid=15802671|doi-access=free }}</ref> into the [[thermal conductivity]] of the common [[bottlenose dolphin]]'s blubber reveals its thickness and lipid content vary greatly amongst individuals and across life history categories. Blubber from emaciated dolphins is a poorer insulator than that from nonpregnant adults, which in turn have a higher heat conductivity than blubber from pregnant females and adolescents.

==Human influences==
[[File:Whaling Trypot (Blubber Pot), Simon's Town SA.jpg|thumb|[[Try pot]] or ''Blubber Pot'' seen in [[Simon's Town]] in [[South Africa]]]]
===Uses===
''Uqhuq'',<ref name=translate>{{cite book|last=Ohokak|first=G.|author2=M. Kadlun|author3=B. Harnum|title=Inuinnaqtun-English Dictionary|publisher=Kitikmeot Heritage Society|url=http://www.nald.ca/library/learning/nac/nac_dictionary/nac_dictionary.pdf|access-date=6 March 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904191006/http://www.nald.ca/library/learning/nac/nac_dictionary/nac_dictionary.pdf|archive-date=4 September 2012}}</ref> or ''uqsuq'',<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.livingdictionary.com/term/viewTerm.jsp?term=49165130231 |work=Asuilaak Living Dictionary |title=Blubber |date=November 2016 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> ("blubber" in the [[Inuktitut]] language) is an important part of the [[Inuit diet|traditional diets]] of the [[Inuit]] and of other northern peoples, because of its high energy value and availability. Whale blubber, which tastes like [[arrowroot]] biscuits, has similar properties.<ref>
{{cite book
|last1=Stefansson
|first1=Eero
|last2=Adriaensen
|first2=Arxontis
|year=1893
|title=Missionärer bland Eskimåer
|trans-title=Missionaries Among the Eskimos
|language=sv
|publisher=Himmelriket på Jorden Publikationer
|location=Göteborg
|series=Uppdrag i Världen
|page=138
}}
</ref> <!--It has been suggested that because the fats of the Inuit's wild-caught game are largely [[monounsaturated fat|monounsaturated]] and rich in [[omega-3 fatty acid]]s, the diet does not pose the same health risks as a typical Western high-fat diet.<ref name="paradox">{{cite web|url=http://discovermagazine.com/2004/oct/inuit-paradox/article_view?b_start:int=1&-C=|title=The Inuit Paradox|last=Gadsby|first=Patricia|date=October 1, 2004|work=Discover Magazine|pages=1–4|access-date=24 December 2009}}</ref> However, actual evidence has shown that Inuit have a similar prevalence of [[coronary artery disease]] as non-Inuit populations and they have excessive mortality due to [[stroke|cerebrovascular strokes]], with twice the risk to that of the North American population.<ref name="FodorHelis2014">{{cite journal|last1=Fodor|first1=George J.|last2=Helis|first2=Eftyhia|last3=Yazdekhasti|first3=Narges|last4=Vohnout|first4=Branislav|title="Fishing" for the origins of the "Eskimos and heart disease" story. Facts or wishful thinking? A review|journal=Canadian Journal of Cardiology|year=2014|issn=0828-282X|doi=10.1016/j.cjca.2014.04.007|doi=10.1016/j.cjca.2014.04.007|volume=30|pages=864–868|pmid=25064579}}</ref><ref name="Slate082014">{{cite news |last=Preston |first=Elizabeth |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/08/does_fish_oil_prevent_heart_disease_original_danish_eskimo_diet_study_was.html |title=The Fishy Origins of the Fish Oil Craze |work=Slate |publisher=The Slate Group |date=2014-08-01 |access-date=2014-08-05 |quote=In the 1970s, a pair of Danish researchers ventured north of the Arctic Circle and into medical lore. Studying a scattered Inuit population, they concluded that eating plenty of fish and other marine animals protected this group from heart disease. The researchers would eventually suggest that everyone else's hearts and arteries might also benefit from the "Eskimo diet," promoting a health food trend that continues to this day. The only trouble is, the two Danes never proved that the Inuit had low rates of heart disease. They never tested it at all. But today the market for fish oil pills is booming, even as scientists conduct trial after trial to hunt for a link to heart health that has never quite solidified. }}</ref> Indeed, the cardiovascular risk of this diet is so severe that the addition of a more [[Western pattern diet|standard American diet]] has reduced the incidence of mortality in the Inuit population.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Low incidence of cardiovascular disease among the Inuit--what is the evidence?|journal = Atherosclerosis|date = 2003-02-01|issn = 0021-9150|pmid = 12535749|pages = 351–357|volume = 166|issue = 2|first = Peter|last = Bjerregaard|first2 = T. Kue|last2 = Young|first3 = Robert A.|last3 = Hegele|doi=10.1016/s0021-9150(02)00364-7}}</ref> Furthermore, [[Fish oil|fish oil supplement]] studies have failed to support claims of preventing [[Myocardial infarction|heart attacks]] or [[stroke]]s.<ref name="NYT-20150917-cz">{{cite news |last=Zimmer |first=Carl |author-link=Carl Zimmer |title=Inuit Study Adds Twist to Omega-3 Fatty Acids' Health Story |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/22/science/inuit-study-adds-twist-to-omega-3-fatty-acids-health-story.html |date=September 17, 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=October 11, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="NYT-20150330">{{cite news |last=O'Connor |first=Anahad |title=Fish Oil Claims Not Supported by Research |url=http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/30/fish-oil-claims-not-supported-by-research/ |date=March 30, 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=October 11, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="JAMA-201403">{{cite journal |last1=Grey |first1=Andrew |last2=Bolland |first2=Mark |title=Clinical Trial Evidence and Use of Fish Oil Supplements |url=http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1787690 |date=March 2014 |journal=[[JAMA Internal Medicine]] |volume=174 |issue=3 |pages=460–462 |doi=10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.12765 |access-date=October 11, 2015 |pmid=24352849}}</ref>-->

[[Whaling]] largely targeted the collection of blubber: whalers [[Rendering (food processing)|rendered]] it into [[whale oil|oil]] in [[try pot]]s, or later, in vats on [[factory ship]]s. The oil could serve in the manufacture of soap, leather, and cosmetics.<ref name="donovan">{{cite encyclopedia | last = Donovan | first = Greg | title = Whaling | encyclopedia = Microsoft Encarta | year = 2008}}</ref> Whale oil was used in candles as wax, and in [[oil lamp]]s as fuel. A single [[blue whale]] can yield a blubber harvest of up to 50 tons.<ref name="Cetacean">{{cite encyclopedia | title = Cetacean | encyclopedia = Encyclopædia Britannica. Ultimate Reference Suite | year = 2008}}</ref>

===Health===
Blubber from whales and seals contains [[omega-3 fatty acids]] and [[vitamin D]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kuhnlein |first1=H.V. |author-link=Harriet V. Kuhnlein |last2=Barthet |first2=V. |last3=Farren |first3=A. |last4=Falahi |first4=E. |last5=Leggee |first5=D. |last6=Receveur |first6=O. |last7=Berti |first7=P. |year=2006 |title=Vitamins A, D, and E in Canadian Arctic traditional food and adult diets |journal=Journal of Food Composition and Analysis |volume=19 |issue=6–7 |pages=495–506 |doi=10.1016/j.jfca.2005.02.007}}</ref> Without the vitamin D, for example, the Inuit and other natives of the Arctic would likely suffer from [[rickets]]. There is evidence blubber and other fats in the arctic diet also provide the calories needed to replace the lack of carbohydrates which are found in the diets of cultures in the rest of the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://courses.washington.edu/bioa101/articles/article41.pdf|title=The Inuit Paradox|website=Washington.edu|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608052245/http://courses.washington.edu/bioa101/articles/article41.pdf|archive-date=8 June 2011}}</ref>

===Toxicity===
In the 21st century, blubber contains man-made [[polychlorinated biphenyl]] (PCBs), carcinogens that damage human nervous, immune, and reproductive systems.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1126/science.1106882 |title=Two Abundant Bioaccumulated Halogenated Compounds Are Natural Products |year=2005 |last1=Teuten |first1=E. L. |journal=Science |volume=307 |issue=5711 |pages=917–20 |pmid=15705850 |last2=Xu |first2=L |last3=Reddy |first3=CM|bibcode=2005Sci...307..917T |s2cid=9377016 }}
* {{cite press release |date=18 February 2005 |title=Chemical Compounds Found In Whale Blubber Are From Natural Sources, Not Industrial Contamination |website=ScienceDaily |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/02/050213132247.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1132889.stm | title=Japan warned on 'contaminated' blubber | work=BBC News | date=2001-01-24 | access-date=2009-12-31 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223093530/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1132889.stm | archive-date=23 February 2009}}</ref> The source of PCB concentrations is unknown. Since toothed whales are high on the [[food chain]], they likely consume large amounts of industrial pollutants ([[biomagnification|bioaccumulation]]); even [[baleen whale]]s, by merit of the huge amount of food they consume, are bound to have toxic chemicals stored in their bodies. Additionally, there are high levels of [[Mercury (element)|mercury]] in the blubber of seals of the [[Northern Canada|Canadian arctic]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Braune|first1=B|title=Persistent organic pollutants and mercury in marine biota of the Canadian Arctic: An overview of spatial and temporal trends|journal=Science of the Total Environment|date=16 August 2005|volume=351–352|pages=32|url=http://web4.uwindsor.ca/users/f/fisk/main.nsf/0/48abbaa50ed52cc08525724a006839ac/$FILE/STOTEN%202005%20Braune%20spatial%20temporal%20cont%20Arctic.pdf|bibcode=2005ScTEn.351....4B|doi=10.1016/j.scitotenv.2004.10.034|pmid=16109439|access-date=26 February 2018|archive-date=10 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810004605/http://web4.uwindsor.ca/users/f/fisk/main.nsf/0/48abbaa50ed52cc08525724a006839ac/%24FILE/STOTEN%202005%20Braune%20spatial%20temporal%20cont%20Arctic.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Globster]]
* [[Greenlandic cuisine]]
* [[Muktuk]] (whale blubber and skin as consumed in the North American and East Siberian Arctic)
* [[Whale meat]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{cite web
  | url= http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/learning/education/teacher_resources/blubber.asp
  | title= Education Resources for Teachers--Blubber Experiment
  | url-status= dead
  | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080417170650/http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/learning/education/teacher_resources/blubber.asp
  | archive-date= 17 April 2008  }}
* {{cite web
  | url= http://www.athropolis.com/arctic-facts/fact-blubber-whale.htm
  | title= Arctic Facts-Blubber}}

{{Whaling}}
{{Fats and oils}}

[[Category:Animal fat products]]
[[Category:Whale products]]
[[Category:Marine mammals]]
[[Category:Inuit cuisine]]
[[Category:Animal fats]]