Artiocetus

Name: Artiocetus.
Phonetic: Ar-te-o-see-tus.
Named By: P.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Gingerich,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Haq,‭ ‬I.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Zalmout,‭ ‬I.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Khan‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Malkan-‭ ‬-‭ ‬2001.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Cetacea,‭ ‬Archaeoceti,‭ ‬Protocetidae.
Species: A.‭ ‬clavis‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Skull about‭ ‬58‭ ‬centimetres long.
Known locations: Pakistan‭ ‬-‭ ‬Domanda Formation.
Time period: Lutetian of the Eocene.
Fossil representation: Complete skull and partial post cranial remains.

       Artiocetus was an important transisitional find because individuals of this genus still possessed artiodactyl-like ankles.‭ ‬In modern palaeontology whales have long been thought to have descended from land living artiodactyl ancestors,‭ ‬specifically anthracotheres,‭ ‬and the observation of artiodactyl ankles in a primitive whale is further proof of this theory.
       Although a whale ancestor,‭ ‬Artiocetus still possessed four limbs,‭ ‬though it is already clear that adaptations for a more marine lifestyle were being made at‭ ‬the expense of terrestrial adaptations.‭ ‬Artiocetus would have been similar to other primitive whale ancestors such as Rodhocetus.

Further reading
-‭ ‬Origin of whales from early artiodactyls:‭ ‬Hands and feet of Eocene Protocetidae from Pakistan,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Gingerich,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Haq,‭ ‬I.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Zalmout,‭ ‬I.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Khan‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Malkan-‭ ‬-‭ ‬2001.



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