Ambulocetus
Name: Ambulocetus
(Walking whale).
Phonetic: Am-bu-loh-cee-tuss.
Named By: Thewissen et al - 1996.
Classification: Chordata, Mammalia, Cetacea,
Archaeoceti, Ambulocetidae, Ambulocetinae.
Species: A. natans.
Type: Carnivore.
Size: 3 meters long.
Known locations: Pakistan.
Time period: Ypresian of the Eocene.
Fossil representation: Several individuals with
partial remains, one specimen with a much more complete skeletal
frame.
Ambulocetus
is a very important transitional fossil as it displays the link between
terrestrial mammals and the early whales. Ambulocetus
acquired its
name from the fact that it could both swim by undulating its back
as well as leave the water and walk on land.
The
ear structure of
Ambulocetus is very interesting as it appears to
have only worked while
it was underwater. If Ambulocetus ever hunted on
land, it may have
had to use another method to detect prey such as holding its throat to
the ground and sensing vibrations in a similar manner as other
creatures that lack ears.
The
skull of Ambulocetus is
arranged in such a way that it could swallow food while underwater.
This was achieved by the arrangement of air passages in the snout.
The teeth were also very similar to other early cetaceans and a
chemical analysis of these teeth has shown them to have been exposed to
both fresh and salt water. This implies that Ambulocetus
was active
in river estuaries where fresh meets salt water, but can also suggest
that Ambulocetus was a go anywhere predator. Other
primitive whales important to the study of whale evolution include
Pakicetus
and Rodhocetus.
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