Nov
20
How and why would whales have evolved to become aquatic animals?
By
First of all, I am not attempting in any way to use this as an argument for intelligent design.
I was just wondering what the current scientific theories are on what natural pressures and changes could actually have occurred for the whale to evolve from a terrestrial mammal ancestor back to an aquatic animal? What use would the whale have had in moving back into the open ocean, and how did it achieve this?
2 Comments
November 20th, 2009 at 10:09 am
It’s actually really interesting! They were a hoofed predator on land and probably began catching fish, and may have found better protection from predators. Basically there they were able to find more food or survive longer there. After they had lived there for a while they developed flippers (think otter) and eventually lost the back flippers so they were more streamlined. The forelimbs became more rudder like to as they used their spine to swim.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:20 am
it’s the law of nature