One thing at a time. It's not like they're otters or something. In the case of whales and their cetacean kin, it led to one of the most dramatic transformations known, producing fully aquatic mammals from terrestrial ones. For that reason, whale origins have long fascinated scholars. Determining which mammalian group gave rise to these leviathans, however, has proved difficult.
Scientists agree that whales are actually highly specialized ungulates, or hoofed mammals.
Traditionally, paleontologists have posited that whales descended from extinct hyenalike creatures called mesonychians, based on dental similarities between the two groups. More obsessive picture-collecting. I hadn't previously seen such clear views of the site from West Street, and the visible structural damage to the World Financial Center is stunning. For slower connections, this is the photographer's selection of the best shots, scaled down to a reasonable size. The Reverend Louis P. Sheldon, chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition , has made his contribution to national healing by asserting that public and private relief agencies should deny aid to surviving gay partners of people killed in the events of September 11.