Cetacean Paleobiology

Felix G. Marx is Curator Vertebrates at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, where he primarily looks after the marine mammal collection. Prior to becoming a curator, he spent several years as a postdoctoral fellow in Australia, Belgium and Japan. He specialises in the evolution of baleen whales, but has worked on a broad variety of topics, from macroevolution to feeding ecology, biogeography, and behaviour.Dr Olivier Lambert is a vertebrate palaeontologist at the Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Brussels. Interested in the secondary adaptations of mammals to the marine environment, Dr Lambert studies fossil cetaceans from many geological ages and localities in the world. Most of his publications focus on extinct echolocating toothed whales, especially from the North Atlantic and South-East Pacific realms.Dr Mark D. Uhen is an Assistant Professor of Geology at George Mason University. Dr Uhen�s research focuses on the origin and evolution of cetaceans (whales and dolphins), and other marine mammals. He has conducted field work around the world, developed exhibits and lessons on cetacean evolution for museums, and published on his work in journals, and books. Dr Uhen is also a leader of the Paleobiology Database, an on-line open resource that documents every fossil occurrence on the planet.

• Series Editor’s Preface viiPreface viiiAcknowledgments x1 Cetaceans, Past and Present 11.1 Introduction and scope of the book 11.2 What is a whale? 21.3 Diversity, distribution, and ecology of modern cetaceans 31.4 How to study extinct cetaceans 51.4.1 Comparative and functional anatomy 51.4.2 Evolutionary relationships 61.4.3 Habitat and feeding preferences 91.4.4 Macroevolutionary dynamics 111.4.5 Other methodologies 131.5 Suggested readings 13References 132 Cetacean Fossil Record 192.1 A history of exploration 192.2 Strengths and weaknesses of the cetacean fossil record 232.2.1 Preservation potential 232.2.2 Biases affecting fossil recovery 242.2.3 Outlook 272.3 Major fossil localities 282.3.1 Tethys 282.3.2 North Atlantic 302.3.3 South Atlantic 322.3.4 North Pacific 322.3.5 South Pacific 332.3.6 Dredge sites: South Africa and Iberia 352.4 Suggested Readings 35References 353 Morphology 443.1 Overview 443.2 The skull 463.2.1 Rostrum and central facial region 463.2.2 Forehead, skull vertex, and posterior cranium 503.2.3 Temporal fossa and basicranium 543.2.4 Periotic 563.2.5 Tympanic bulla 633.2.6 Auditory ossicles 643.2.7 Dentition 653.2.8 Mandible 663.2.9 Hyoid apparatus 673.3 The postcranial skeleton 683.3.1 Vertebral column and rib cage 683.3.2 Forelimb 703.3.3 Hind limb 733.4 Osteological correlates of soft tissue anatomy 743.4.1 Musculature 743.4.2 Baleen 793.4.3 Air sinus system, air sacs and fat pads 793.4.4 Brain anatomy and cranial nerves 803.4.5 Sensory organs 843.4.6 Flukes 863.5 Suggested readings 87References 874 Phylogeny and Taxonomy 954.1 Cetacean origins 954.2 The earliest whales: archaeocetes 974.2.1 Pakicetids, ambulocetids, and remingtonocetids 974.2.2 Protocetidae and basal Pelagiceti 994.3 Filter‐feeding whales: Mysticeti 1024.3.1 Toothed mysticetes 1034.3.2 Toothless mysticetes 1064.4 Echolocating whales: Odontoceti 1144.4.1 Stem odontocetes 1154.4.2 Potential crown odontocetes 1194.4.3 Basal crown odontocetes 1224.4.4 Delphinida 1304.4.5 Crown Delphinoidea 1364.5 Consensus, conflicts, and diversification dates 1414.5.1 High‐level conflicts and possible solutions 1414.5.2 Divergence dates 1424.6 Suggested readings 145References 1455 Major Steps in the Evolution of Cetaceans 1575.1 From land to sea: the last steps 1575.1.1 Initial forays into the water 1575.1.2 Transition to marine environments 1625.1.3 Divorce from land 1695.2 Key innovations: baleen and echolocation 1715.2.1 Baleen 1715.2.2 Echolocation 1745.3 Invasion of freshwater habitats 1765.4 Key fossils 1805.4.1 Archaeocetes 1805.4.2 Mysticeti 1835.4.3 Odontoceti 1865.5 Suggested readings 189References 1896 Fossil Evidence of Cetacean Biology 1986.1 Feeding strategies 1986.1.1 Archaeocetes 1986.1.2 Mysticeti 2036.1.3 Odontoceti 2116.2 Cetaceans as a source of food 2176.2.1 Active predation 2176.2.2 Whale falls 2186.3 Reproduction 2206.4 Migration 2226.5 Sexual dimorphism 2226.6 Diving 2256.7 Ontogenetic age 2276.8 Suggested readings 228References 2297 Macroevolutionary Patterns 2397.1 Patterns in cetacean diversity: radiations and extinctions 2397.1.1 Paleogene 2407.1.2 Neogene 2427.2 Major turnover events 2467.2.1 Archaeocetes to neocetes 2477.2.2 Decline of toothed mysticetes 2497.2.3 Delphinoids and platanistoids—ships passing in the night? 2497.2.4 Establishment of the modern fauna 2507.3 Disparity and evolutionary rates 2517.4 Body size 2517.5 Brain size 2577.5.1 Trends 2577.5.2 Potential causes 2597.6 Paleobiogeography 2607.6.1 Initial dispersal from land 2617.6.2 Neoceti 2617.7 Convergent evolution 2647.8 Suggested readings 268References 2698 Paleontological Insights into Evolution and Development 2778.1 Limb morphology and development 2778.1.1 Forelimb 2778.1.2 Hind limb 2818.2 Regionalization of the vertebral column 2848.3 The origins of homodonty, polydonty, and monophyodonty 2868.3.1 Archaeocetes 2868.3.2 Neoceti 2888.4 Heterochrony: aged youngsters, juvenile adults 2918.5 Suggested readings 296References 2969 Living Cetaceans in an Evolutionary Context 3029.1 A modern view of cetacean evolution 3029.2 Cetacea—quo vadis? 304References 304Index 307