Origin of Whales from Early Artiodactyls: Hands and Feet of Eocene Protocetidae from Pakistan

Partial skeletons of two new fossil whales, Artiocetus clavis and Rodhocetus balochistanensis, are among the oldest known protocetid archaeocetes. These came from early Lutetian age (47 million years ago) strata in eastern Balochistan Province, Pakistan. Both have an astragalus and cuboid in the ank...

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Veröffentlicht in:	Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2001-09, Vol.293 (5538), p.2239-2242
Hauptverfasser:	Gingerich, Philip D., Haq, Munir ul, Zalmout, Iyad S., Khan, Intizar Hussain, Malkani, M. Sadiq
Format:	Artikel
Sprache:	eng
Schlagworte:	Animals Artiocetus clavis Artiodactyla Artiodactyla - anatomy & histology Artiodactyla - classification Biological Evolution Cetacea Earth sciences Earth, ocean, space Evolution Evolution (Biology) Exact sciences and technology Femur Femur - anatomy & histology Foot - anatomy & histology Foot bones Foot Bones - anatomy & histology Forelimb - anatomy & histology Forelimbs Fossil whales Fossils Hindlimb - anatomy & histology Mammals Marine Mesonychia New genus Pakistan Paleontology Phalanges Protocetidae Rodhocetus balochistanensis Skeleton Skull Skull - anatomy & histology Tarsal Bones - anatomy & histology Tarsus Tarsus, Animal - anatomy & histology Vertebrate paleontology Whales Whales & whaling Whales - anatomy & histology Whales - classification Whales, Fossil
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:	Partial skeletons of two new fossil whales, Artiocetus clavis and Rodhocetus balochistanensis, are among the oldest known protocetid archaeocetes. These came from early Lutetian age (47 million years ago) strata in eastern Balochistan Province, Pakistan. Both have an astragalus and cuboid in the ankle with characteristics diagnostic of artiodactyls; R. balochistanensis has virtually complete fore- and hind limbs. The new skeletons are important in augmenting the diversity of early Protocetidae, clarifying that Cetacea evolved from early Artiodactyla rather than Mesonychia and showing how early protocetids swam.
ISSN:	0036-8075 1095-9203
DOI:	10.1126/science.1063902