Republic of the Philippines

ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY

Echague, Isabela

Senior High School Department

Evolutionary Pattern of

Whales

Whales and porpoises are all members of the scientific order Cetacea. They
are divided into three suborders:

1) Archaeoceti (extinct whales)

2) Odonotoceti (toothed whales)

3) Mysticeti (baleen whales)

Today's living whales, both toothed and baleen, have unusual looking
skeletons. Why do they have finger bones locked inside their pectoral fins . . . yet
have no bones whatsoever within their dorsal fins or tail flukes?

Their bodies suggest a complex evolutionary history - and the fossil record
demonstrates this to be true. Archaeological evidence reveals that whales and
dolphins evolved through time from four legged animals that were initially semi-
aquatic, then mostly-aquatic, and finally to fully-aquatic marine mammals.

50 Million Years Ago

Pakicetus

The original forerunner is named Pakicetus and lived about 50 million years
ago. In those days, the region of Earth known now as the Middle East was then a vast
marshland bordering a shallow sea. Along the rivers and estuaries, Pakicetids had
learned to feed on small fish. This species was a member of a group of animals
referred to as artiodactyls.

40 Million Years Ago

Ambulocetus

Evolution can cause whole populations of animals to change genetically over

long periods time. This results in speciation, where one species can gradually split
into two or more species and slowly give rise to new groups of animals.

45 Million Years Ago

Protocetid

Around 45 million years ago, members of the Protocetid family were so well
adapted to an aquatic life, that they were probably only coming ashore for
reproduction and nurturing their young offspring - much the way seals and sealions do
today.

40 Million Years Ago

Dorudontid

By 40 million years ago, ancient whales were fully aquatic and propelled
exclusively by flukes. Flattening of the final few vertebrae indicate a foundation to
which the connective tissue of the flukes had evolved. The Dorudontids, for example,
not only had flukes but their small pelvic bones were unattached to the backbone, and
their tiny hind limbs could not serve any swimming function. They may have
appeared as small hind fins.
15 Million Years Ago

Kentriodontid

Both toothed and baleen whale groups expanded and gave rise to multiple
species over the next several million years - over 80 different species today! At 15
million years ago, Kentriodontids closely resembled various modern dolphins.

2016

Delphinidae

Now we have 36 different species in the dolphin family - called Delphinidae.

Randel John T. Doña

STEM 11-1