Rodhocetus
| Rodhocetus | ||||||||||||
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Life picture of Rodhocetus |
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| Temporal occurrence | ||||||||||||
| Eocene | ||||||||||||
| approx. 47 million years | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Rodhocetus | ||||||||||||
| Gingerich , Raza , Arif , Anwar & Zhou , 1994 | ||||||||||||
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Rodhocetus is an extinct representative of the ancestors of the whales . It belongs to the early forms that have characteristic features of land mammals and thus shows the evolutionary development of these animals from land to aquatic life. The first species found, Rodhocetus kasranii , showed a large pelvis fusedwith the spine , hind legs and differently shaped teeth .
In the later found Rodhocetus balochistanensis , bones of the tarsus were also found , which supported the hypothesis of a closer relationship to the ungulates and at the same time called the Mesonychia to the extinct carnivores into question. This species is now seen as recognized evidence of its kinship with the even-toed ungulate (which includes today's pigs and hippos ). The tarsus of the species show clear characteristics of this group of animals, while the ossicles clearly resemble those of the whales. The first fossils of this type were found in 2000 by Philip Gingerich in Balochistan ( Pakistan ). Their age is estimated to be 47 million years. Fossils of the Pakicetidae come from the same region , which show further facts about the evolution of the whales.
Web links
- Palaeocetology of Indopakistan at cetacea.de