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unlobogris ā Skipping 'leg day'
#evolution #paleoart #whale #eocene #paleontography #ancientwhales #protocetidae #aegicetus #archeocetes
Published: 2020-04-05 22:48:24 +0000 UTC; Views: 2992; Favourites: 140; Downloads: 0
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Description
The recently described Aegicetus gehennae, from the late Eocene of Egypt.This protocetid is very interesting, as it seems to show a key step in the transition from hindlimb-powered swimming, like in older protocetids, to tail-powered swimming, like in modern whales.
At least for me, trying to reconstruct this fella has been really enlightening to understand the changes in limb/tail proportions in early whales. Still no clue about the origin of the tail flukes. Does anyone knows more about this topic?Ā
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Comments: 4
when your d**k is bigger than your leg :I
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Tail flukes are anchored by the last few tail verts, and in modern whales these have a shape that denotes this. They have been looking for signs of this in Protocetids but have not found the right material yet.
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Hope a well preserved protocetid tail could be found soon giving more info on this question... Basilosaurids did show a "modern" fluke if I am not mistaken, but I wonder about the intermediate steps in protocetids... flat end of tail? paddle like? round manatee-like fluke? dugong-like flukes? Would a round manatee style fluke be necessary *before* dugong/modern whale flukes? I favored this in my interpretations, but who knows!
Aghhh... so much questions! ;-DĀ
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Good questions thoigh.
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