Whales evolution

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Whales Evolution
Among the sea mammals, whales are not only believed to have evolved from terrestrial creatures but also have noticeable attributes in their skeletal structure which links them to the early land creatures. In a discovery made from the fossil skull of an ancient terrestrial wolf, there was a significant similarity in the ear bone structure, which is present in the current day whales. That finding suggests that the whales share their origin with the terrestrial creatures and have retained their skeletal features from their ancestors. The adaptation to living in the sea is believed to be due to the principle of survival, following the reduction in land food and the climate change, making them seek for survival in water. The evolution process took place in various forms for them to obtain their current features.
The ancient structure of the mammals made them liable to the predators in the sea. They had long limbs and a weak tail, making them unable to escape in water rapidly. They had a small size too, making them unable to counter their predators. These features are present in the Pakicetus, which are believed to be their earliest form. The modern Odontoceti and Mysticeti forms have a similar descent from the same initial creature. According to Bajpai, Thewissen and Sahni, the features of adaptation suggest that they obtained their swimming techniques from the seals among other early land-to-sea mammals (677).
As time went by, they had to develop shorter limbs and a stronger tail to propel them faster through the water.

The evolution path descended to the Ambolectus, whose tail was longer and much stronger than the early Pakicetus. The Kutchicectus had a faster motion through the water. It had obtained its technique from the shortening of the legs. It had a broader jaw that enabled it to hear better in the sea and would communicate faster. The nasal opening allocated next to the eyes. The Rhodocetus had reduced the limbs further, with a further back-set of the nasal apparatus. The Dunudon which had a complete loss of the limbs is believed to have given rise to the present day Odontocetes and the Mysticetes.
Works Cited
Bajpai, S., Thewissen, J. G. M and Sahni, A.. “The origin and early evolution of whales: macroevolution documented on the Indian Subcontinent.” Journal of Biosciences 34.5 (2009): 673.