# What do we know about the evolution of whales? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 19, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-know-about-the-evolution-of-whales/486627 "2009-02-19T22:47:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-know-about-the-evolution-of-whales/486627/1 "2009-02-19T22:47:50Z")
I have a vague recollection of discoveries of “not-quite-whales” in the fossil evidence. What do we now know about the evolution of the great beasts? ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-know-about-the-evolution-of-whales/486627/2 "2009-02-19T22:54:04Z")
There was _Ambulocetus_, [the “walking whale”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambulocetus). My kids think it was pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-know-about-the-evolution-of-whales/486627/3 "2009-02-19T23:14:59Z")
[Obligatory wiki link.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_cetaceans) I’m not an expert, so I can’t vouch for the article’s accuracy, but it seems well-written. There was also a piece on NPR’s Science Friday about two weeks ago that discussed finding a pregnant proto-whale with the near-term fetus in position to give birth headfirst, which is apparently an indication that proto-whales gave birth on land. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-know-about-the-evolution-of-whales/486627/4 "2009-02-20T01:35:39Z")
In the past couple of weeks, NatGeo has had this miniseries on a few evolutionary changes, one of which was [When Whales Had Legs](http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/morphed/3001/Videos#tab-Videos/06300_00). Worth watching. Keep your eye out for it. Another showed how T. Rex’s relatives became turkeys, and how bears diversified. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-know-about-the-evolution-of-whales/486627/5 "2009-02-20T01:44:06Z")
According to The Ancestor’s Tale by Richard Dawkins, the closest living relative to the hippopotamus is the whale. The preview for last season’s run of Survivor, the one set in Gabon, had the greatest clip of hippos out in the shallows of the ocean, with crashing waves. It was extremely cool. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-know-about-the-evolution-of-whales/486627/6 "2009-02-20T02:15:31Z")
I totally cheated and found this through the Wikipedia link, but here’s the [Stephen Jay Gould essay](http://www.stephenjaygould.org/ctrl/gould_leviathan.html) I remember vividly on this subject. If you’re interested in whale evolution – especially to refute creationism – this is a great piece. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-know-about-the-evolution-of-whales/486627/7 "2009-02-20T03:47:32Z")
All this info is fascinating! Thanks! The discovery of these ancient critters really makes it hard to be a creationist, doesn’t it? All the supposedly non-existent transitional fossils are now being found! Ha! ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-know-about-the-evolution-of-whales/486627/8 "2009-02-20T04:02:00Z")
We know that they built a _Wall_ in the place that is now Jerusalem. Many humans regard it still as a sacred place. We know that they established royalty long ago, and to this day, there is a Prince of Whales. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-we-know-about-the-evolution-of-whales/486627/9 "2009-02-20T11:29:46Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > We know that they built a _Wall_ in the place that is now Jerusalem. Many humans regard it still as a sacred place. In the interest of fighting ignorance. The whaling wall was of course build by whal **ers** , not whales.