lecture 1 Flashcards
What is a Cetacean?
The scientific name of marine mammals with the class of whales, dolphins and porpoise
What is a Mysticete?
the scientific name used to describe the class of whales that uses baleen instead of teeth
What is Baleen?
I dense structure made of karatin within a Mysticete’s mouth that is used to filter out food.
What is an Odontocete?
The scientific name used to describe the class of toothed whales
What does Homodont mean?
having teeth that are all identical
eg. orcas
What does Heterodont mean?
have teeth that are all different
eg. humans
What is Phylogeny?
the study of relatedness
What prehistoric era did the first whales originate
The Miocene
What evidence do scientists have of cetatceans being of terrestrial origin
Cetaceans in the fossil record have teeth that are closer related to terrestrial diets than marine.
remnant feet structures
Describe Pachyaena
The earliest known ancestor of cetaceans
- From the taxon Mesonychid
- lived approx. 55mya
- Early whale teeth
- 1
What is a Mesonychid?
is an extinct taxon of carnivorous ungulates
What is an Ungulate
Hooved mammals
Describe Ambulocetus
AKA as the “walking whale”
- Tiny hooves
- amphibous traits
- approx. 48mya
- 2
Describe Rodhocetus
The first whale
- Early whale teeth
- still many terrestrial characteristics
- 3
Describe Basilosaurus
First whale with Fusiform
- reduced legs
- approx 37mya
- 4
