Ancient whales

Did you know that cetacean is scientific term used for marine mammals? Cetaceans belong to the order
Artiodactyla, which includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

Artiodactyls are mammals with hooves. How weird is that? Dolphins don’t have hooves!

Well, it turns out that the ancient ancestors of cetaceans were “large, eventoed ungulates” – they had four
legs, hooves, and could walk on land. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises are closely related to hippopotamuses!

Download a copy of these whale skeletons (ancient and modern), by artist Kelly Body, so you can try your hand at drawing their bodies! Start with the parāoa | sperm whale. You’ll then have to use your imagination a bit for the first whale, Pakicetus, and even for Ambulocetus – while more aquatic, it has a body more similar to a whale-seal hybrid!

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