Learn about the 43-million-year-old Whale that Walked on Land on WITF TV

• Khamelia Henderson
  BioRecent Stories

  

Discover the unearthing of a fossil graveyard that reveals a 43-million-year-old whale that had four legs and could walk. Join researchers and scientists as they search for clues that paint a picture of how prehistoric mammals moved from land into the sea to becomes today’s largest animals on Earth.

Nova  profiles the archaeological discovery of a 43-million-year-old four-legged whale found by scientists in Egypt. The species is named amphibious Phiomicetus anubis due to its skull’s resemblance to Anubis, the ancient Egyptian jackal-headed god of the dead. Unlike modern whales, prehistoric whales evolved from deer-like mammals that lived on land over 10 million years ago. Experts claim that the animal had strong jaws which they used to catch prey, four legs to walk on land, and a tail to swim in water. Prehistoric whales used to be herbivores while they lived mostly on land and later evolved into the carnivorous amphibians we know today. Learn more about this tremendous discovery by tuning in next Wednesday.

Watch Nova Wednesday, January 31 at 9pm on WITF TV or the PBS or WITF App. Livestream it for free or stream it on demand with WITF Passport.