Because the earliest whale fossils come from India and Pakistan, it is thought that whales first made the transition from land back into water in south Asia some 50 million years ago. 'However, despite having a good fossil record of the different stages involved, there are still questions remaining as to the routes that early whales took when they first spread around the world.' The fossil of a newly discovery semi-aquatic proto-whale known as a protocetid from Peru is now starting to help answer some of these questions. A whale with hooves The coastal plains of Peru are well known for their rich deposits of ancient marine fossils. But this latest find pushes back the presence of whales in Peru even further.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 04, 2019 15:00 UTC