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Evolution

In search of the whales' sisters

Nature volume 404, pages 237–239 (2000)Cite this article

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Which mammals are the closest relatives to cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises and whales)? That is, which mammalian group is their ‘sister taxon’? There is a wide gulf between the morphological and molecular evolutionary studies on the question, for they give conflicting answers. In a paper in Systematic Biology, O'Leary and Geisler1 highlight the importance of the early divergent lineages, or extinct fossil taxonomic groups, in resolving this intriguing problem.

The descent of whales from land-dwelling mammals is a compelling example of evolution. It is documented by a rich fossil record of intermediate forms spanning the land–water transition; and by morphological and molecular lines of evidence, both of which testify that cetaceans have a close affinity to the artiodactyl mammals, or ungulates with even-toed feet and double-pulley ankle, such as today's cow, camel and hippopotamus. But two central issues have yet to be settled. One is the identity of the cetacean sister taxon. The other is whether the cetaceans are ‘nested’ within the group of artiodactyls as a branch on the family tree of the living artiodactyls — in other words, whether cetaceans represent some ancient artiodactyls that became adapted to aquatic life.

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Figure 1: Different interpretations of cetacean evolutionary history.

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  1. Section of Vertebrate Paleontology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, 19213, Pennsylvania , USA

    Zhexi Luo

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Luo, Z. In search of the whales' sisters. Nature 404, 237–239 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35005194

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