Evolution Of Whales

Sanjana Suresh
FSLE-3
Kingdom :Animalia ; Phylum : Chordata ; Subphylum: Vertebrata ; Class :
Mammalia ; Order: Cetacea
Cetaceans include whales, dolphins, tortoises and porpoises
There are over 80 Species in two Suborders :Mysticeti and Odontoceti

Modern Whales
Mysticeti Odontoceti
Blue Whale
Bowhead Whale (Arctic Region)
Gray Whale
Humpback Whale
North Atlantic Right Whale
Sperm Whale
Beluga
Orca (Killer Whale)


Whale Species
1693- John Ray, whales are mammals

1859- Darwin, in Origin of Species, whales arose from bears

1883- Sir William Henry Flower, solidifies theory of descendants
were from terrestrial mammals based on vestigial organs

Early History of Whale Evolution

Thewissen discovers fossil
dated to 60 million years
ago in Kashmir region of
India
Even toed ungulate, a form
of the mammalian order
Artiodactyla
Marine lifestyle

Indohyus
First Archaeocete

Evolved 52 million years ago
Found in Pakistan by Gingerich,
1983

Sharper teeth-more carnivorous

Deficient in hearing underwater,
more terrestrial hearer-not yet
evolved

Narrow brain case

Pakicetus
Ambulocetus Natans
Found in sediments about
120 meters higher than
Pakicetus by Thewissen in
1992
49 million years ago
the walking whale that
swims- made possible by
stout femur
More aquatic, similar to a sea
lion
Anatomy of spinal column-
swam with tail going up and
down
Skull characteristics
Rodhocetus
49-43 million years ago in
Pakistan by Stromer 1908
More developed tail for
swimming
Sacral vertebrae not fused- more
flexibility, first devotee to
swimming
Femur was a third shorter than
that of the Ambulocetus
Skull elongated
Ears pushed further back
Smaller eyes
First sea water living ancestors

Basilosaurus
35-41 million years ago by Cope in
1868 in Egypt and Eastern U.S.
First completely aquatic form
king lizard- 15 meters long
Complete set of hind limb bones
and a pelvis, but very small
First to have tail fluke- due to
structure of vertebral proportions
Formation of blow hole-single large
nostril to the top of the head
Dorudon
Found by Gingerich 1994,
about 40 million years ago
Very similar to Basilosaurus,
however smaller in size (4-5
meters long) and forelimbs
and hind limbs smaller
Ability to walk on land
completely diminished, move
from land to sea is complete
Geographic Origins
Use of the geographic
distribution of related
species
Sea of Tethys
Distribution of
Basilosaurus and Dorudon
widely spread vs.
Ambulocetus and
Rodhocetus constrained
to one area in India,
Pakistan region
Genetic Changes Over Generations
Formation of the ear
Formation and
movement of blow
hole at top of the
head
Vestigial Organs
Pelvis, tibia, other leg
bone structures

Works Cited
1) Gingerich, Phillip. "The whales of Tethys." Apr. 1994. Aug 2013 <
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=3&sid=72aafebc-31f7-40ce-b541-
44f44dbb72cb%40sessionmgr2&bdata=jmxvz2lucgfnzt1mb2dpbi5hc3amc2l0zt1lag9zdc1saxzl#db=aph&an=9404017813>.

2) Gingerich, Philip D., and D.E. Russel. "Pakicetus inachus, A New Archaeocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Early-Middle
Eocene Kuldana Formation of Kohat (Pakistan)." Paleontology, Museum of - Publications 25 (1981): 236-45. Aug 2013

3) Gingerich, Philip D. "Research on the Origin and Early Evolution of Whales (Cetacea)." Personal Pages. 5 Nov. 08. University
of Michigan Aug 2013 <http://www-personal.umich.edu/~gingeric/pdgwhales/whales.htm>.

4) Myers, P. Z. "Evolution of Whale Ear." Pharyngula. 12 Aug. 2004. University of Minnesota, Morris. Aug
2013<http://pharyngula.org/index/weblog/comments/evolution_of_the_whale_ear/>.

5) "Researchers Discover Clues to Whale Evolution." Science Daily. 10 May 2002. Aug
2013<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/05/020509073449.htm>.

6) Sutera, Raymond. "The Origin of Whales and the Power of Independent Evidence." Talk Origins. 10 Aug. 2001. Aug 2013
<http://www.talkorigins.org/features/whales/>.

7) Thewissen, J.G.M. "Whale Origins!" Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy. Aug
2013<http://darla.neoucom.edu/depts/anat/whaleorigins.htm>.

8) "Whales Descended From Tiny Deer-like Ancestors." Science Daily. 21 Dec. 2007. Aug
2013<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220220241.htm>.