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Whale Evolution


 * Welcome to this Wiki about Whale Evolution. **

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Although there are still gaps in the knowledge we have about how whales evolved, scientists have been able to use fossil evidence in order to build a picture about how whales evolved. Today, you will need to use the internet to research one of the whale's ancestors in order to show their evolution over time.===== You will be split into groups and will be given the name of one ancestor to research. You can use the internet to do this, however I have included some useful websites below. You need to find the following information about your whale ancestor: Once you have found this information, you will need to edit the page created for your ancestor. Please feel free to edit the layout and text styles on the page as you wish. You are creating part of a resource that everyone will need to access, so please ensure you include adequate detail. There are questions which need to be answered following the wiki being built, so please keep updating and saving your wiki as you add information to it. Groups may finish earlier than others and may want to start answering the questions below.
 * Year reported:**
 * Country where found:**
 * Geological age (mya):**
 * Habitat (land, fesh water, shallow sea, open ocean):**
 * Skull, teeth, ear structure most like (whales or land animal):**
 * Limbs and tail (Description. Did it swim? If so, how):**

After the wiki has been created, please answer the following questions (in your workbook). http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evograms_03 http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-videos/evolution-whales-animation http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/e/evolution_of_cetaceans.htm
 * What typical whalelike traits were apparently the earliest to appear? What apparently evolved much later?
 * Draw a basic flowchart showing the process of whale evolution, remembering that the oldest ancestor actually started in the ocean and then moved onto land.
 * As each "missing link" was found, how many new gaps were formed? What is the relationship between gaps and fossils?
 * To find fossil evidence to fill the largest remaining gap in whale evolution, what age sediments would you search?
 * What distinguishing traits would you expect to find in whale fossils of that age?
 * Reference sites:**