'Walking Whale' Fossil Discovered In Peru: 40-Million-Year-Old Specimen May Be Link Between Aquatic and Land Mammals
By Josh Lieberman on September 20, 2013 12:26 PM EDT
"We already knew about the paleontological richness of Ocucaje dating back 10-12 million years," said Rodolfo Salas, a paleontologist who was part of the discovery team. "Now we can say that the most important primitive sea mammal deposit in South America is at Ocucaje."
The whale fossils belong to a creature in the suborder Archaeoceti, meaning "ancient whales." These sea mammals share certain characteristics with their land-dwelling ancestors, most notably evidence of legs. The whale had teeth that were more like that of a terrestrial animal, as well as a cavity in the cranium that is more consistent with land mammals than sea mammals.
The first whale ancestors were very different from the whales of today. Some 50 million years ago, the "first whale," a furry, wolf-sized creature, lived on land but ate fish. Whale ancestors lost their hair and acquired web feet; eventually they lost their feet and gained flippers and a more streamlined shape for swimming. By about 45 million years ago, whales had developed into the more familiar, fully aquatic species.
Fossils from sea mammals as old as the whale found in the Ocucaje desert have never been found in Peru before. Previous ancient sea mammal fossils have been found in Egypt, Pakistan and India. The Ocucaje desert has yielded remains of other marine creatures, and there are probably plenty more to be found.
"There is probably a greater number of fossils in the sand but it takes high-tech equipment to locate and recover them," said paleontologist Cesar Chacaltana.
URL: http://www.isciencetimes.com/articles/6094/20130920/walking-whale-fossil-ocucaje-peru-40-million-years.htm
There still seem to be countless number of anti evolutionists who exploit the 'Missing Link' rhetoric. Well, what missing link?? The relations among ancient mammals, amphibians, and marine organisms have been elucidated through this recent finding, and once again, the realm of creationism has been shrunken.
By the way, even I could find about twenty 'missing links' between dinosaurs and birds after less than ten minutes of perfunctory research; to see is to believe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinosauropteryx_prima
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caudipteryx_zoui
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinornithosaurus_millenii
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microraptor_zhaoianus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilong_paradoxus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinfengopteryx_elegans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juravenator_starki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinocalliopteryx_gigas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velociraptor_mongoliensis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithomimus_edmontonicus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jianchangosaurus_yixianensis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therizinosaur
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeopteryx_lithographica
- A "walking whale" fossil discovered in Peru may provide new evidence for how whales evolved from land to sea creatures. Above, an artist's rendering of the Rodhocetus, a horrifying ancient creature related to the recently discovered whale. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
"We already knew about the paleontological richness of Ocucaje dating back 10-12 million years," said Rodolfo Salas, a paleontologist who was part of the discovery team. "Now we can say that the most important primitive sea mammal deposit in South America is at Ocucaje."
The whale fossils belong to a creature in the suborder Archaeoceti, meaning "ancient whales." These sea mammals share certain characteristics with their land-dwelling ancestors, most notably evidence of legs. The whale had teeth that were more like that of a terrestrial animal, as well as a cavity in the cranium that is more consistent with land mammals than sea mammals.
The first whale ancestors were very different from the whales of today. Some 50 million years ago, the "first whale," a furry, wolf-sized creature, lived on land but ate fish. Whale ancestors lost their hair and acquired web feet; eventually they lost their feet and gained flippers and a more streamlined shape for swimming. By about 45 million years ago, whales had developed into the more familiar, fully aquatic species.
Fossils from sea mammals as old as the whale found in the Ocucaje desert have never been found in Peru before. Previous ancient sea mammal fossils have been found in Egypt, Pakistan and India. The Ocucaje desert has yielded remains of other marine creatures, and there are probably plenty more to be found.
"There is probably a greater number of fossils in the sand but it takes high-tech equipment to locate and recover them," said paleontologist Cesar Chacaltana.
URL: http://www.isciencetimes.com/articles/6094/20130920/walking-whale-fossil-ocucaje-peru-40-million-years.htm
There still seem to be countless number of anti evolutionists who exploit the 'Missing Link' rhetoric. Well, what missing link?? The relations among ancient mammals, amphibians, and marine organisms have been elucidated through this recent finding, and once again, the realm of creationism has been shrunken.
By the way, even I could find about twenty 'missing links' between dinosaurs and birds after less than ten minutes of perfunctory research; to see is to believe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinosauropteryx_prima
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caudipteryx_zoui
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinornithosaurus_millenii
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microraptor_zhaoianus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilong_paradoxus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinfengopteryx_elegans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juravenator_starki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinocalliopteryx_gigas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velociraptor_mongoliensis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithomimus_edmontonicus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jianchangosaurus_yixianensis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therizinosaur
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeopteryx_lithographica
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