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Whales originated from aquatic artiodactyls in the Eocene epoch of India

Author

Listed:
  • J. G. M. Thewissen

    (Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Rootstown, Ohio 44272, USA)

  • Lisa Noelle Cooper

    (Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Rootstown, Ohio 44272, USA
    School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA)

  • Mark T. Clementz

    (University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA)

  • Sunil Bajpai

    (Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247 667, India)

  • B. N. Tiwari

    (Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand 248 001, India)

Abstract

Although the first ten million years of whale evolution are documented by a remarkable series of fossil skeletons, the link to the ancestor of cetaceans has been missing. It was known that whales are related to even-toed ungulates (artiodactyls), but until now no artiodactyls were morphologically close to early whales. Here we show that the Eocene south Asian raoellid artiodactyls are the sister group to whales. The raoellid Indohyus is similar to whales, and unlike other artiodactyls, in the structure of its ears and premolars, in the density of its limb bones and in the stable-oxygen-isotope composition of its teeth. We also show that a major dietary change occurred during the transition from artiodactyls to whales and that raoellids were aquatic waders. This indicates that aquatic life in this lineage occurred before the origin of the order Cetacea.

Suggested Citation

  • J. G. M. Thewissen & Lisa Noelle Cooper & Mark T. Clementz & Sunil Bajpai & B. N. Tiwari, 2007. "Whales originated from aquatic artiodactyls in the Eocene epoch of India," Nature, Nature, vol. 450(7173), pages 1190-1194, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:450:y:2007:i:7173:d:10.1038_nature06343
    DOI: 10.1038/nature06343
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhao, Bin, 2017. "Why will dominant alternative transportation fuels be liquid fuels, not electricity or hydrogen?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 712-714.

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