MELTING ICE
THE LINE OF EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT THAT LED TO today’s whales—and to humans as well—can be traced back to the Cretaceous period and the carnivorous land mammals from which they descended. The branch that became whales follows that of the artiodactyls, hoofed mammals like antelopes and camels, as w...
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| Published in | Narwhals p. 80 |
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| Main Author | |
| Format | Book Chapter |
| Language | English |
| Published |
University of Washington Press
18.06.2013
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| Online Access | Get full text |
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| Summary: | THE LINE OF EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT THAT LED TO today’s whales—and to humans as well—can be traced back to the Cretaceous period and the carnivorous land mammals from which they descended. The branch that became whales follows that of the artiodactyls, hoofed mammals like antelopes and camels, as well as the hippopotamus, the whale’s nearest living relative on land. The discovery in 1978 of a 52-million-year-old skull of what became known as Pakicetus was found to have features that showed a transition between terrestrial mammals and aquatic animals, including modifications that allowed for directional hearing under water, one of |
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| ISBN: | 9780295992648 0295992646 |