Basic
Cetacea Info (Archaeocetes in particular)
The following animals are listed by timeline, starting with the earliest Cetacean. Essentially, an Archaeocete is one of several mammal genra which paved the way for modern whales. Evidence shows Archaeocetes may have evolved from Artiodactyls, the group of mammals that contains cows, deer, goats, giraffes, and hippos.
Pakicetus
The dog-sized Pakicetus lived in Asia during the Eocene. It was an early ancestor of whales and porpoises and had shark-like teeth.
Ambulocetus
Ambulocetus was an aquatic, Eocene cetacean. At about 15 feet long, it was much larger than Pakicetus and would have resembled a whale with legs. Like other early cetaceans, it shows the evolutionary transition between land mammals and true whales.
Basilosaurus
Basilosaurus lived in the late Eocene and was about 60 feet long. It was more whale-like than its earlier ancestors, though it still posessed two very small hind limbs. The limbs were, however, useless for land use.
Squalodon
Squalodon appeared in the Oligocene and died out in the Miocene. It was an early toothed whale with shark-like teeth. Cetaceans like Squalodon paved the way for modern toothed whales.
The following animals are listed by timeline, starting with the earliest Cetacean. Essentially, an Archaeocete is one of several mammal genra which paved the way for modern whales. Evidence shows Archaeocetes may have evolved from Artiodactyls, the group of mammals that contains cows, deer, goats, giraffes, and hippos.
Pakicetus
The dog-sized Pakicetus lived in Asia during the Eocene. It was an early ancestor of whales and porpoises and had shark-like teeth.
Ambulocetus
Ambulocetus was an aquatic, Eocene cetacean. At about 15 feet long, it was much larger than Pakicetus and would have resembled a whale with legs. Like other early cetaceans, it shows the evolutionary transition between land mammals and true whales.
Basilosaurus
Basilosaurus lived in the late Eocene and was about 60 feet long. It was more whale-like than its earlier ancestors, though it still posessed two very small hind limbs. The limbs were, however, useless for land use.
Squalodon
Squalodon appeared in the Oligocene and died out in the Miocene. It was an early toothed whale with shark-like teeth. Cetaceans like Squalodon paved the way for modern toothed whales.
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Denver, Colorado
text, photos, and website Copyright Nick Pfannenstiel
2010 paleo-nick@nicksfossils.com
