Name: The whale that could walk
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A small furry carnivore that lived both on land and sea is the ancestor of modern whales.

Today’s whales look nothing like their ancient ancestor.

The whale that could walk

whale that could walk

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A small furry carnivore that lived both on land and sea is the ancestor of modern whales.

Today’s whales look nothing like their ancient ancestor.

Evolution

The whale that could walkPublished: Jan 31, 2024Narrator: In 1978, Philip went to Pakistan to search for prehistoric horses. Instead, his team unearthed the remains of a mysterious creature. The team named the strange animal, Pakicetus. It's about 50 million years old. When Philip took a closer look. He spotted something unexpected in the creature's ear.Philip Gingerich: When you look at this covering bone, covering the ear, it's very dense, it's thickened, it has a sloping surface on this side. In modern mammals, those are only found in whales. Why? To enable them to hear in water.Narrator: This ear bone, unique to whales and dolphins, helps them locate the direction of sounds underwater. It's proof of Pakicetus pedigree.Philip Gingerich: This bone was the key to understanding that Pakicetus is a whale. Well, that made it the oldest fossil whale anybody ever found.Narrator: It was groundbreaking. As they discovered more Pakicetus fossils, they realized something else. This whale could walk.Philip Gingerich: Pakicetus is an animal a little bigger than a wolf, probably built approximately like a wolf. It has teeth like a carnivorous mammal.Narrator: Unlike a wolf that has claws on the ends of its toes, Pakicetus had tiny hooves. Pakicetus was a carnivore that hunted on land, but its anatomy suggests it had adapted to living in water. Its long snout, full of sharp teeth also allowed it to probe shallow river beds for prey. Its eyes were squeezed onto the top of its head, so it could keep watch while swimming. Some scientists think markings on its foot bones, are evidence it had webbing between its toes, allowing it to hunt underwater.Philip Gingerich: Of course, it didn't take long until they moved into the water more permanently.Narrator: Pakicetus marks the beginning of an eventful journey from land animals to today's gigantic whales.

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The whale that could walk

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Ice Age Footprints

Oldest DNA Ever Found Reveals Secrets of the Ancient Arctic

When Whales Could Walk

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Ice Age Footprints

Oldest DNA Ever Found Reveals Secrets of the Ancient Arctic

When Whales Could Walk