Tag

Toothed Whales

All articles tagged with #toothed whales

science1 month ago•48 min saved

From land to ocean: the sweeping evolution of whales

This review traces cetacean evolution from early Eocene land- and river-edge ancestors in Indo-Pakistan to today’s diverse baleen and toothed whales, highlighting major transitions (limb reduction, aquatic locomotion, high-frequency hearing and echolocation, and feeding innovations) and macroevolutionary patterns that shaped their diversification, while outlining unresolved questions and guiding priorities for future research.

via Nature|

#baleen-whales #cetaceans #evolution

paleontology3 years ago•3 min saved

Uncovering the Earliest Ancestors of Modern Dolphins.

Paleontologists have discovered a new species of toothed whale, Olympicetus thalassodon, which lived 28 million years ago and offers insights into the evolution of modern dolphins. This species, along with two other similar odontocetes found in the same area, belong to the Simocetidae family, which forms part of the early diverging groups of toothed whales. The study, however, leaves questions about their echolocation abilities.

via SciTechDaily|

#evolution #fossils #north-pacific