Archaeoceti
Quick Summary
Archaeoceti refers to an extinct suborder of early cetacean mammals, representing the earliest whales. Fossils, such as Pakicetus found in Pakistan, date back to the Early Eocene Epoch, approximately 48.5 million years ago. These early whales retained terrestrial mammal features, including functional legs and an auditory system better suited for air than water. Pakicetus, weighing around 45 kg, had a diet of fish but spent significant time on land. Descendants of Archaeoceti, like basilosaurids, became fully aquatic and eventually gave rise to modern baleen and toothed whales during the Late Oligocene Epoch.123
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