Pakicetus
Genus of ancient whales / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Pakicetus is an extinct genus of amphibious cetacean of the family Pakicetidae, which was endemic to Pakistan during the Ypresian (early Eocene) period, roughly 50 million years ago.[2] It was a wolf-like animal,[3] about 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) long,[4] and lived in and around water where it ate fish and other animals. The vast majority of paleontologists regard it as the most basal whale, representing a transitional stage between land mammals and whales. It belongs to the even-toed ungulates with the closest living non-cetacean relative being the hippopotamus.[3]
Not to be confused with Pachycetus.
Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...
Pakicetus | |
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Cast of P. attocki, Canadian Museum of Nature | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Infraorder: | Cetacea |
Family: | †Pakicetidae |
Genus: | †Pakicetus Gingerich & Russell 1981 |
Type species | |
†Pakicetus inachus | |
Species | |
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