The feature that unites all Toothed whales is, obviously, the possession of teeth which are used to capture, hold, and eat prey. Whale Songs Sound production by baleen whales was unknown until the 1950's since studies of their anatomy had shown that none of the whales possessed vocal chords and were therefore assumed to be mute. The best known of all whale sound producers is the humpback, which produces the longest, most complex sequences of any whale. This repetition may continue for many hours at a time. Substantial evidence from studies in anatomy, biochemistry, and genetics indicates that cetaceans evolved from a single group of carnivorous, even-toed ungulates that lived 50 million years ago.
Ungulates are hoofed mammals from two orders, artiodactyla and perissodactyla.
Cetaceans evolved from the artiodactyla, the even-toed group that includes sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, deer, and hippopotamuses. It is believed that the cetacean ancestor was a carnivorous ungulate from the family Mesondichidae that lived 50-60 million years ago. The Mesondichidae ultimately became extinct. While the answer to this question will never be definitely known for sure, it is believed that these markings probably function as underwater visual clues. Biologists think that when killer whales are swimming side by side within view of one another, these patches may provide a way for on whale to detect subtle changes in the position of an adjacent animal as it initiates a turn.