The walking whales
Subtitle: from land to water in eight million years
By: J.G.M. "Hans" Thewissen ; with illustrations by Jacqueline Dillard
Contributors: Dillard, Jacqueline, illustrator
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: 2014
Language: eng
Number of pages: 245
ISBN-13: 9780520277069
Subjects: Whales; Evolution; Fossil Whales; Paleontology
Description: "A ... first-person account of the discoveries that brought to light the early fossil record of whales. As evidenced in the record, whales evolved from herbivorous forest-dwelling ancestors that resembled tiny deer to carnivorous monsters stalking lakes and rivers and to serpentlike denizens of the coast. Thewissen reports on his discoveries in the wilds of India and Pakistan, weaving a narrative that reveals the day-to-day adventures of fossil collection, enriching it with local flavors from South Asian culture and society"--Dust jacket flap.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 213-231) and index.
Table of contents: title: A wasted dig; title: Fish, mammal, or dinosaur?; title: A whale with legs; title: Learning to swim; title: When the mountains grew; title: Passage to India; title: A trip to the beach; title: The otter whale; title: The ocean is a desert; title: The skeleton puzzle; title: The river whales; title: Whales conquer the world; title: From embryos to evolution; title: Before whales; title: The way forward.