EVOLUTION

TAXONOMY

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Cetacea

Family: Balaenopteridae

Genus: Megaptera

Species: Megaptera Novaeangliae


Binomial Nomenclature: Megaptera Novaeangliae

Common Name: Humpback Whale

EVOLUTION

Prehistoric land mammals with hoofs

It is believed that Humpback Whales evolved over 50 million years ago from a creature that had the body of a land animal and head/skull shape of a whale. These prehistoric creatures were called Pakicetus and lived in what is known now as Pakistan. Pakicetus exhibited characteristics of its anatomy that link it to modern cetaceans, a group made up of whales, porpoises, and dolphins.

Sources:

  1. Explore the Taxonomic Tree. (n.d.). Retrieved from FWS.gov website: https://fws.gov/taxonomic-tree/32083

  2. ‌Berkeley University of California. (2020, June). The evolution of whales. Retrieved from evolution.berkeley.edu website: https://evolution.berkeley.edu/what-are-evograms/the-evolution-of-whales/

  3. AMNH. (2013). Pakicetus: The First Whale Was a Land Animal | AMNH. Retrieved from American Museum of Natural History website: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/on-exhibit-posts/the-first-whale-pakicetus

  4. Humpback Whale Evolution Poster. (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2022, from coast.noaa.gov website: https://coast.noaa.gov/psc/sea/content/humpback-whale-evolution-poster

Keywords: Binomial Nomenclature, Megaptera Novaeangliae, Taxonomy, Pakicetus