Humpback whales are baleen whales, meaning that they have a unique way of filtration feeding involving their baleen plates. Humpback whales are distinct in that their feeding behaviors have evolved over time which has changed their head shape, growth rates, as well as migratory habits.  

Whales evolved from terrestrial ancestors related to modern artiodactyl taxa such as hippos and cows, but with the evolution of their skulls and physiological adaptations, cetaceans acquired feeding habits that made marine environments suitable. Whilst in the water, there were futher evolutionary pressures to find a more efficient feeding method with less competition for food. The teeth-to-baleen transition is associated with skull development to aid in filter feeding as their food source changed from larger shellfish/fish to smaller organisms. This is mainly attributed to the human activity and disruption of habitat for their food source. (Berkley, 2020)

The Humpback whale differs from other baleen whales mainly because of how its feeding habits have evolved and the effect of this on their physiology. A visual result of this is the unique jaw shape of the humpback, which allows the whale to take in large amounts of water to filter. This evolved to allow to the humpback to be able to acquire more food in places where there are less options. 

Whales will continue to evolve in response to the influx of human interference in the ocean. The humpback whale has pronounced fins, that can already be seen to have grown since humans have took to the ocean. This microevolution shows how evolutionary pressures continue to act on the humpback whale to push it to have better hunting and feeding strategies. (Sea Wonder: Humpback Whale, n.d.)