Fossil Whale Vertebrae
Roughly 40 - 30 million years old
Originally mistaken for dinosaur fossils (Hydrarchos), whale bones uncovered in recent years have told us much about the behemoth sea creatures. For more than a century, our knowledge of the whale fossil record was so sparse that no one could be certain what the ancestors of whales looked like. Now the tide has turned. In the space of just three decades, a flood of new fossils has filled in the gaps in our knowledge to turn the origin of whales into one of the best-documented examples of large-scale evolutionary change in the fossil record. These ancestral creatures were stranger than anyone ever expected. There was no straight-line march of terrestrial mammals leading up to fully aquatic whales, but an evolutionary riot of amphibious cetaceans that walked and swam along rivers, estuaries and the coasts of prehistoric Asia. As strange as modern whales are, their fossil predecessors were even stranger. Once you hold and see the magnitude of these amazing specimens you'll see why we fell in love with them at first site.
All fossils vary slightly in size and shape. You will receive a high quality specimen of the selected item but not the exact one pictured. All minerals, gems, stones and fossils are guaranteed to be top quality; sourced from ethical vendors around the world.
Original: $10.00
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Description
Roughly 40 - 30 million years old
Originally mistaken for dinosaur fossils (Hydrarchos), whale bones uncovered in recent years have told us much about the behemoth sea creatures. For more than a century, our knowledge of the whale fossil record was so sparse that no one could be certain what the ancestors of whales looked like. Now the tide has turned. In the space of just three decades, a flood of new fossils has filled in the gaps in our knowledge to turn the origin of whales into one of the best-documented examples of large-scale evolutionary change in the fossil record. These ancestral creatures were stranger than anyone ever expected. There was no straight-line march of terrestrial mammals leading up to fully aquatic whales, but an evolutionary riot of amphibious cetaceans that walked and swam along rivers, estuaries and the coasts of prehistoric Asia. As strange as modern whales are, their fossil predecessors were even stranger. Once you hold and see the magnitude of these amazing specimens you'll see why we fell in love with them at first site.
All fossils vary slightly in size and shape. You will receive a high quality specimen of the selected item but not the exact one pictured. All minerals, gems, stones and fossils are guaranteed to be top quality; sourced from ethical vendors around the world.
