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

作者：Philip D. Gingerich, Munir ul Haq, Iyad S. Zalmout, Intizar Hussain Khan, Muhammad Sadiq Malkani · 发表于：Science · 年份：2001 · DOI：10.1126/science.1063902 · 被引用次数：320 · 研究领域：Marine animal studies overview、Ichthyology and Marine Biology、Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics

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.