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May 21, 2007 · Several instances of baleen preservation have been noted (e.g., Brand et al., 2004), but no other soft tissues of fossil marine mammals have been reported. Thus, any interpretation of the behavior of fossil marine mammals must be reflected in the morphology of the skeleton or teeth, be reflected in modification of the skeleton or teeth, or be ...
- Mark D. Uhen
- 2007
Whales evolved massive bodies to not only store large quantities of energy but also to push aside the water for effective long-distance travel. At the same time that baleen whales were growing to massive proportions feeding on tiny crustaceans, another marine mammal, Desmostylia, was grazing on kelp and seagrass in the shallows.
Marine Mammal Diversity. Living groups of marine mammals vary greatly in their diversity. Rice (1998; Table 1 therein) reports that living Cetacea include 83 species in 39 genera; living Pinnipedia include 36 species in 21 genera; and Recent Sirenia include 5 species in 3 genera. Since then, several new spe-cies of cetaceans have been described ...
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Dec 25, 2022 · Here we have gathered 26 articles that study different facets of evolution in marine environments. Increasing the knowledge on various aspects of evolution in the marine realm will be important to improve our understanding toward future responses to global change, expected outcomes of restoration programs, or appropriate management of ...
It has taken 50 million years for cetaceans and pinnipeds to evolve into the largest, most efficient predators in the oceans. High-speed swimming, remarkable breath-hold capabilities and an enormous gastro-intestinal tract combine to make marine mammals elite eating machines.
Feb 1, 2019 · Marine mammals represent a variety of ecological roles, including herbivores (manatees), filter feeders (baleen whales), and top predators (killer whales). Mammals evolved on land around 160 million years ago. Each taxonomic marine mammal group evolved from a different group of land mammals, whose ancestors separately ventured back into the ...
May 21, 2007 · The fossil record demonstrates that mammals re-entered the marine realm on at least seven separate occasions. Five of these clades are still extant, whereas two are extinct. This review presents a brief introduction to the phylogeny of each group of marine mammals, based on the latest studies using both morphological and molecular data.
