Rodhocetus

In Depth        Although not as well known as Pakicetus and Ambulocetus,‭ ‬Rodhocetus is nonetheless important to the study of how whales evolved from land animals.‭ ‬Rodhocetus is but one of a slowly but steadily growing number of transitional fossil genera,‭ ‬but‭ ‬in‭ ‬Rodhocetus‭ ‬ the change can actually be seen across the species as well.‭ … Read more

Carolinacetus

In Depth        Carolinacetus is a genus of protocetid whale known to have‭ ‬lived around what is now South Carolina during the later half‭ ‬of the Eocene.‭ ‬Carolinacetus appears to have been slightly larger than other protocetids such as Georgiacetus,‭ ‬while also being one of the more primitive protocetid genera known from North America. Further Reading … Read more

Indocetus

In Depth        Indocetus is a genus of protocetid whale that was first name from the discovery of a partial skull from the‭ ‬Harudi Formation of India in‭ ‬1975.‭ ‬In‭ ‬1993‭ ‬new whale fossils from the Domanda Formation of Pakistan were added to the Indocetus genus,‭ ‬and this was a significant development since these were the … Read more

Gaviacetus

In Depth        Gaviacetus is usually interpreted as a protocetid,‭ ‬a very primitive kind of whale that would have still possessed legs for terrestrial locomotion,‭ ‬though in the past Gaviacetus has also been considered to be a possible basilosaurid.‭ ‬However,‭ ‬at the time of writing there is little evidence to conclusively prove that Gaviacetus was a … Read more

Babiacetus

In Depth        Babiacetus was a member of the Archaeoceti,‭ ‬a group of primitive whales that also includes genera such as Basilosaurus,‭ ‬Dorudon,‭ ‬Protocetus and Zygorhiza.‭ ‬Babiacetus seems to have lived more during the middle Eocene,‭ ‬though since the genus is currently only known for cranial remains,‭ ‬we do not know how well developed the actual … Read more

Makaracetus

In Depth        Makaracetus is a genus of protocetid whale that lived in Pakistan during the Eocene.‭ ‬The most notable feature of Makaracetus is the strange shaped snout which dips down,‭ ‬and may be a sign that Makaracetus had a proboscis,‭ ‬alternatively known as a trunk,‭ ‬that may‭ ‬have been similar to a tapirs.‭ ‬This was … Read more

Eocetus

In Depth        Eocetus was first named by Eberhard Fraas in‭ ‬1904,‭ ‬but at first as Mesocetus schweinfurthi.‭ ‬It soon came to the attention of Fraas however that the name Mesocetus was already in use,‭ ‬so he instead created the genus name Eocetus for his specimen.‭ ‬Known as a protocetid whale,‭ ‬and hence relative to genera … Read more

Natchitochia

In Depth        Natchitochia is a genus of protocetid whale that lived in waters around North America during the mid-Eocene.‭ ‬Though only known from a few vertebrae and partial ribs,‭ ‬it is known that Natchitochia would have been similar to genera such as Eocetus,‭ ‬Pappocetus and Protocetus.‭ ‬Comparison to the vertebrae of Eocetus and the ribs … Read more

Togocetus

In Depth        Togocetus is a genus of primitive whale that was first discovered in a phosphate mine that is early Eocene in age.‭ ‬Togocetus is noted for being similar to genera such as Protocetus and Pappocetus. Further Reading -‭ ‬A new archaeocete and other marine mammals‭ (‬Cetacea and Sirenia‭) ‬from lower middle Eocene phosphate deposits … Read more

Artiocetus

In Depth        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,‭ … Read more