Peru: discovered whale fossil with legs
Peruvian paleontologists have discovered the fossil ancestor, with 40 million years, a whale able to walk the Earth. The specimen with paws may provide a valuable clue of how marine mammals of today evolved from amphibians to aquatic beings.The discovery was made in the vast desert of Ocucaje, in southern Peru, an area known to be a rich deposit of ancient cetaceans. This is the first time that a marine mammal with such age is found in South America.According to Euronews, the whale belongs to the Group Achaeocetes-former Marine mammals that still revealed some of the features of their terrestrial ancestors. The fossil discoveries made over the last 30 years have revealed a sequence of evolutionary transformations that have brought the whales known today to occupy oceans and leave once the solos.The first whale that existed was a furry, four-legged with omnivore, which evolved into a number of species of amphibians for 50 million years. Over time, lost the connection between his backbone and hind legs and then gradually lost totally paws, winning fins.It is thought that the whales have evolved into fully aquatic beings about 45 million years ago.Until today, were found in the desert of Ocucaje fossilized remains of more than 15 marine mammals. It is believed that the bodies have been preserved by the low level of oxygen in the substrate, which will retard the decomposition caused by bacteria.
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