Pakicetus

little deer-like animals are a sister taxon to whales Name: Indohyus (Greek for "Indian pig"); pronounced IN-doe-HIGH-us Habitat: Shores of central Asia Historical Epoch: Early Eocene (48 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 2 feet long and 10 pounds Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; herbivorous diet About Indohyus:

Name: Ambulocetus (Greek for "walking whale"); pronounced AM-byoo-low-SEE-tuss Habitat: Shores of central Asia Historical Epoch: Early Eocene (50 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 10 feet long and 500 pounds Diet: Fish and crustaceans Distinguishing Characteristics: Webbed feet; narrow snout About Ambulocetus: Ambulocetus dates from the era when the ancestors of modern whales were just dipping their toes into the water: this long, slender, otter-like mammal was built for an amphibious lifestyle, with webbed, padded feet and a narrow, crocodile-like snout. Oddly, an analysis of Ambulocetus' teeth shows that this prehistoric whale thrived in both fresh and salt water, a characteristic shared only with a single modern-day crocodile hailing from Australia.