Hind Limbs of Eocene Basilosaurus: Evidence of Feet in Whales

1990/07/13 by Philip D. Gingerich, B. Holly Smith, Elwyn L. Simons · 12 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #Marine animal studies overview #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Cetacea #Anatomy #Hindlimb #Foot (prosody) #Biology #Terrestrial locomotion #Position (finance) #Geology #Paleontology #Zoology #Philosophy

paper · doi:10.1126/science.249.4965.154

openalex publication_date 1990/07/13 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

New specimens of middle Eocene Basilosaurus isis from Egypt include the first functional pelvic limb and foot bones known in Cetacea. These are important in corroborating the intermediate evolutionary position of archaeocetes between generalized Paleocene land mammals that used hind limbs in locomotion and Oligocene-to- Recent whales that lack functional pelvic limbs. The foot is paraxonic, consistent with derivation from mesonychid Condylarthra. Hind limbs of Basilosaurus are interpreted as copulatory guides.

Citations

• A recently mounted zeuglodon skeleton in the United States Museum
• The pelvic girdle of zeuglodon, Basilosaurus cetoides (Owen), with notes on other portions of the skeleton
• Notice of Fossil Bones Found in the Tertiary Formation of the State of Louisiana
• III.—Further Notes on the Mammals of the Eocene of Egypt

Cited by

• L’origine et l’histoire évolutive des Cétacés
• Origin of Whales from Early Artiodactyls: Hands and Feet of Eocene Protocetidae from Pakistan
• NEW GENUS OF DORUDONTINE ARCHAEOCETE (CETACEA) FROM THE MIDDLE‐TO‐LATE EOCENE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
• A New Protocetid Whale (Cetacea: Archaeoceti) from the Late Middle Eocene of South Carolina
• New Middle Eocene Whales from the Pisco Basin of Peru
• A new middle Eocene protocetid whale (Mammalia: Cetacea: Archaeoceti) and associated biota from Georgia
• Stomach stones for feeding or buoyancy? The occurrence and function of gastroliths in marine tetrapods
• An archaeocete whale (Cetacea: Archaeoceti) from the Eocene Waihao Greensand, New Zealand
• PriabonianBasilosaurus isis(Cetacea) from the Wadi Esh-Shallala Formation: first marine mammal from the Eocene of Jordan
• Notes on the anatomy, positioning and homology of the pelvic bones in small cetaceans (Cetacea, Delphinidae, Pontoporiidae)
• Atavisms and atavistic mutations
• Basilosaurus [wikipedia]