Evolution to water instead of from water

[ecoli]

The theory goes that there was too much competition on land and plenty of food in water, so the ancestors of whales eventually evolved back into marine organisms. Cetacea has actually been proposed as a suborder of Artiodactyla (even-toed herbioves) because of molecular and physiological similarities (both have a compartmented stomach, for example). That, and fossil evidence supports the evolution of Cetaceans from Artiodactylans.

 

There is further evidence to support this theory...embryology studies, stuff like that. A rather convincing one, is that they found a dolphin that was born with a deformed hoof growing near where it's legs would be. I saw that on a Scientific American frontiers episode.

 

My guess, is that dolphins still grow hoofs in utero. But, they are destroyed before birth. Something went wrong with this particular dolphin, an the hoof was not properly destroyed.

[Hellbender]

My guess, is that dolphins still grow hoofs in utero. But, they are destroyed before birth. Something went wrong with this particular dolphin, an the hoof was not properly destroyed.

 

I know this is a bit delayed, but do you know if there are any pictures online of this? I will try to google it too, if I can figure out what to search for. Thanks.

[rakuenso]

Clearly not. Difficult to argue with a blue whale, unless you're a giant squid. And evolution is clever: dolphins sleep with one half of their brain at a time to keep watch for predators.

I wish I could sleep with one half of my brain and do homework in the other...