WhereWhales Came From
Whales today include the largest animal ever on the planet—the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). At 300,000 pounds (136,000 kg), a blue whale can rival the weight of about 40 adult female African elephants! Because of their insulating blubber, whales can survive freezing temperatures as they swim long distances and take deep dives. But whales were not always so superbly adapted to open ocean life.
Walking Whales?
If you examine their bodies, there’s evidence that whales came from terrestrial ancestors—animals that lived on land. Whales have five fingered hand bones inside their flippers. As embryos, whales have tiny back legs, which go away before birth. And whales, like humans and other land mammals, breath air with lungs and nurse their young. So,
