Earliest Mysticete from the Late Eocene of Peru sheds new light on the origin of baleen whales

• Published in: Current Biology
• Main Authors: Lambert, Olivier, Martinez Caceres, Manuel, Bianucci, Giovanni, DI CELMA, Claudio Nicola, Salas Gismondi, Rodolfo, Steurbaut, Etienne, Urbina, Mario, de Muizon, Christian
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Pisco; Antarc*; Antarctica; baleen whales; toothed whales
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11581/396095; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.04.026; https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(17)30435-9?_returnURL=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0960982217304359?showall=true

Althoughcombinedmolecular andmorphological analyses point to a latemiddle Eocene (38–39million years ago) origin for the clade Neoceti (Odontoceti, echolocating toothed whales plus Mysticeti, baleen whales, and relatives), the oldest knownmysticete fossil dates from the latest Eocene (about 34 milli...