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An Amphibious Whale from the Middle Eocene of Peru Reveals Early South Pacific Dispersal of Quadrupedal Cetaceans Highlights d
A quadrupedal whale is described based on a skeleton from the middle Eocene of Peru
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It combines terrestrial locomotion abilities and use of the tail for swimming
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This is the first record of an amphibious whale for the whole Pacific Ocean
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It supports early dispersal of cetaceans to the New World across the South Atlantic
Lambert et al., 2019, Current Biology 29, 1–8 April 22, 2019 ª 2019 Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.02.050
Authors Olivier Lambert, Giovanni Bianucci, Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi, Claudio Di Celma, Etienne Steurbaut, Mario Urbina, Christian de Muizon
Correspondence olivier.lambert@naturalsciences.be
In Brief Lambert et al. describe a new cetacean from the middle Eocene of Peru, characterized by retention of terrestrial locomotion abilities and a significant contribution of the tail for swimming. This first indisputable quadrupedal whale from the Pacific Ocean supports early dispersal of amphibious cetaceans to the New World across the South Atlantic.