Ostéographie des Cétacés, vivants et fossiles

Ostéographie des Cétacés, vivants et fossiles is a significant work by Pierre-Joseph van Beneden and Paul Gervais. This collaboration, published between 1868 and 1880, focuses on the osteology, or the study of bones, of both living and fossil cetaceans, which include whales, dolphins, and porpoises.1

The field of cetacean paleontology traces their lineage back to ancient mammals, with early forms like Pakicetus appearing in the Eocene Epoch. Over time, these creatures evolved into various families, with the development of bony structures for echolocation in toothed whales and the emergence of baleen whales. The Miocene Epoch saw the diversification of modern cetacean families, though current biodiversity is less than that of the Miocene period.2