September 28, 2001

Whales kin to cows

Nunatsiaq News

IQALUIT — Two groups of researchers say new fossil finds from Pakistan prove whales share a common ancestor with land-based plant-eaters such as cows.

Past tests have already shown that there’s a relationship between whales and hoofed mammals, such as pigs, cows and hippos.

But even though scientists knew whales evolved from four-legged land animals, they weren’t sure from which branch whales came.

The new fossil animals’ ear cavities have formations similar to those found in whales. They also have legs and an ankle structure similar to those found in cows, pigs and hippos.

Scientists now want to understand how whales developed into fish-eating mammals while their closest relatives are vegetarians.