Ancient Whale Relative Gave Birth on Land (broadcast Friday, February 6th, 2009)

Male Maiacetus inuus with opaque skelton overlay. Credit: John Klausmeyer and Bonnie Miljour, University of Michigan

Fossil remains of an ancient pregnant whale suggest that the animal gave birth on land some 47.5 million years ago. Writing in the journal PLOS, researchers describe the fossils, which were found in Pakistan several years ago. The fossils reinforce teh idea that present-day whales may have evolved from animals that lived on land.

"They were living at the land-sea interface and going back and forth," said Philip Gingerich, one of the authors of the report. "They clearly were tied to the shore." We'll find out more.