in 1994 Philip enriched from Michigan
returns to the silliman mountain range
in Pakistan
it was here 16 years earlier he
unearthed the oldest whale ancestor
his quest now is to find the first
ancient whale that lived permanently in
the sea there extraterrestrial in the
sense that they left the earth they left
the land and live in the sea today which
is a little like outer space really and
the change to be able to live there is
big the question is can he now hook the
biggest fish of all the first fully
aquatic whale
the rock here once formed the bed of the
ancient tothis see the region is rich in
ancient marine fossils but remote they
must complete the journey on foot and
camp
they set to work using only tools they
can carry in a backpack hammers trowels
and brushes
the team discovers the skeleton of
another ancient whale the question is
could this species be the elusive
missing link that cut its ties with
freshwater
back at the University of Michigan they
set to work
separating clean Bowl from mineral
tests on the mineral rock reveal this
creature lived 46 million years ago
three million years after ambulocetus
ambulocetus was a poor swimmer
struggling to escape predators or to
hunt this species has evolved a series
of adaptations to swim better he has a
shorter more powerful neck better for
diving
his rear legs widen and become more
flipper like his tail develops muscles
the teeth that this ancient whale
reveals something far more significant
just four million years after the whale
ancestor pakicetus first entered
freshwater this whale lives permanently
in the sea
this is the first whale that really took
to the sea and to be honest we didn’t
believe it
the secret to its success and the
survival of the entire whale species
comes down to a tiny but ingenious
device inside its trademark ear
paleontologists Philip M rich has
unearthed a whale that lived 46 million
years ago he names it Rhoda Cedars it
appears to be the missing link between
the wolf like ancient whale its
descendants and modern whales
returns to the silliman mountain range
in Pakistan
it was here 16 years earlier he
unearthed the oldest whale ancestor
his quest now is to find the first
ancient whale that lived permanently in
the sea there extraterrestrial in the
sense that they left the earth they left
the land and live in the sea today which
is a little like outer space really and
the change to be able to live there is
big the question is can he now hook the
biggest fish of all the first fully
aquatic whale
the rock here once formed the bed of the
ancient tothis see the region is rich in
ancient marine fossils but remote they
must complete the journey on foot and
camp
they set to work using only tools they
can carry in a backpack hammers trowels
and brushes
the team discovers the skeleton of
another ancient whale the question is
could this species be the elusive
missing link that cut its ties with
freshwater
back at the University of Michigan they
set to work
separating clean Bowl from mineral
tests on the mineral rock reveal this
creature lived 46 million years ago
three million years after ambulocetus
ambulocetus was a poor swimmer
struggling to escape predators or to
hunt this species has evolved a series
of adaptations to swim better he has a
shorter more powerful neck better for
diving
his rear legs widen and become more
flipper like his tail develops muscles
the teeth that this ancient whale
reveals something far more significant
just four million years after the whale
ancestor pakicetus first entered
freshwater this whale lives permanently
in the sea
this is the first whale that really took
to the sea and to be honest we didn’t
believe it
the secret to its success and the
survival of the entire whale species
comes down to a tiny but ingenious
device inside its trademark ear
paleontologists Philip M rich has
unearthed a whale that lived 46 million
years ago he names it Rhoda Cedars it
appears to be the missing link between
the wolf like ancient whale its
descendants and modern whales
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