Marine mammal function and behaviour

Undertaken with collaborators from Australia, Europe and Japan, this research investigates the diversity, function and evolution of marine mammal behaviour – from feeding, to swimming, and communication. Of particular interest is the origin of filter feeding in baleen whales, suction feeding in whales and seals, tooth sharpness and function, and the shape and use of the forelimb flipper.

Investigating these topics often requires an interdisciplinary approach and the use of a broad range of techniques like 3D scanning, computational fluid dynamics, and even behavioural observations of live animals. 

Top left: fur seal flipper model by Shibo Wang (Monash University, Australia); top right: whale tooth models by David Hocking (Monash University, Australia). Seal photographs by Ben Burville (Newcastle University, UK; left) and Renae Sattler (Alaska Seali

Main collaborators: David Hocking, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Australia;  James Rule, Monash University, Melbourne;  Alistair Evans, Monash University;  Travis Park, Monash University;  Tahlia Pollock, University of Bristol, UK.

Funding: Australian Research Council, European Commission.

Representative publications:

• Marx, F.G., Hocking, D.P., Park, T. et al. Suction causes novel tooth wear in marine mammals, with implications for feeding evolution in baleen whales. J Mammal Evol 30, 493–505 (2023).

• Dewaele, L., Gol'din, P., Marx, F.G., Lambert, O., Laurin, M., Obadă, T., & de Buffrénil, V. (2022). Hypersalinity drives convergent bone mass increases in Miocene marine mammals from the Paratethys. Current Biology, 32(1), 248-255

• Hocking, D.P., Marx, F.G., Wang, S., Burton, D., Thompson, M., Park, T., Burville, B., Richards, H.L., Sattler, R., Robbins, J., Portela Miguez, R., Fitzgerald, E.M.G., Slip, D.J., & Evans, A.R. (2021). Convergent evolution of forelimb-propelled swimming in seals. Current Biology, 31(11), 2404-2409.e2