![\"Whales](\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/4L0-0CbLLq8Sr1dRxKauko3EIwCP0QhqA_YeEdG9N453OXxhKEnxyd7MyFHnqffxhGJP1eulRNJ_aMTrg7O6el5uySE2EOd6zfD0MUq7DeXoE4rk3qZwKmZ3EIqRqXrTxEwtg4gz1huZOkV0ZMZl__GFfov62krPRSsMF5ZS7Kx9LcKad1v3jm5tKI167g\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis stage of how did whales evolve involves the evolution of whales from land to sea. Sea animals have several adaptations they didn\u2019t have on land. Evolution forces the adaption of species to their environment. Whales couldn\u2019t walk with four limbs. Therefore, they\u2019d need a new method. The water would surround them instead of air. They must be able to detect and grab prey and breathe underwater. Whales required a means to breathe air underwater. Frontal nostrils shifted to the tops of their skulls, creating blowholes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jaws and teeth changed to grab prey. The upper jaw became more significant and broader to fit prey, and teeth changed from carnivores\u2019. The uniformity of the replacement teeth evidenced a change to homodont teeth. Skull changes were required to fit the melon in front of their braincase. Melon fat helps whales perform echolocation by focusing sound. The whale\u2019s body became more streamlined to travel across the seas, having a lengthy body to push through thick water. Dorudon, which existed between 40 and 33 million years ago, represents a further step along this path of the evolution of whales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This five-meter-long creature featured natural flippers and tiny, stubby back legs. Its whole life was spent underwater. Thus it was a strong swimmer. Additionally, it had an aquatic birthing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Journey to America<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Modern whales\u2019 ancestors traveled from India and Pakistan to their current areas. When did they go where? Fossils can address this question but are too fragmented to be precise. In 2011, a fossil of a four-legged whale was discovered in Peru. In this stage of how did whales evolve, this ancestral whale supports the theory that a westward migration preceded a northward movement fewer than 10 million years after the first whales appeared in India and Pakistan. The path of evolution on whales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whales Without Teeth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The ancestors of today\u2019s whales are descended from Dorudon, an extinct whale genus. Around 34 million years ago, a subset of whales began experimenting with a novel food consumption approach. Their skulls were more flattened, and inside their mouths were feeding filters. The evolution on whales from land-dwelling mammals to ocean-dwelling creatures is a fascinating subject that has captivated scientists for centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this evolutionary stage, whales had a type of tooth called baleen, including blue and humpback whales. As whales evolve over time, other types of whales, such as dolphins, porpoises, orcas, and sperm whales, maintain their natural teeth throughout their lives. One of the most significant events in the evolution of whales was the development of their streamlined bodies, which allowed them to swim more efficiently in the water. The evolution of whales’ bodies allowed them to better adapt to their ocean environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Modern Whales<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The stage of Modern Whales of how did whales evolve there are now two prominent families of whales, the odontocetes (toothed whales) and the mysticetes (baleen whales). Approximately 34 million years ago, they shared a progenitor who most likely did not have baleen or the ability to utilize echolocation. The significant biological changes in the waters over the last 5 million years have likely contributed to the diversification of whale species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the oceans cooled and the currents shifted, a second influx of diverse whale species appeared around 15 million years ago. At the same time, the variety of crustaceans and mollusks that some whales eat has grown. This is how whales evolved and are still evolving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Giant Whales<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The original mysticetes were around the size of a modern-day minke whale, or 5 to 9 meters in length. As whales evolved over millions of years, it was only around 4.5 million years ago that whales are thought to have grown to their current size. Mysticetes exploded in population just as the temperature cooled and huge ice caps formed in the northern hemisphere. Ice melts in the spring and summer, releasing nutrients into the open ocean, where they collect along the beaches. Plankton, drawn there by currents, congregate in these zones, where they thrive in the presence of abundant nutrients. Seasonal concentrations of plankton begin to build in the ocean, sometimes thousands of kilometers apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, in the evolutionary stage of a whale, size is now a heavily selected factor. This means most overweight individuals can travel farther to reach these newly created feeding grounds because of increased energy stores. The age of the giants replaces the period of the lesser ones. There are several upsides to one\u2019s size. Generally speaking, giants live at the very top of the food chain and are very seldom attacked by smaller creatures. However, they are in greater danger of extinction during environmental upheaval or crisis. Some scientists believe that the evolution on whales may have been influenced by the emergence of predatory sharks during the early days of the oceans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n