The Surprising History of Whales

The skeletons of male and female (foreground) sperm whales. Courtesy: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Whales started out as land animals. Here's a distant ancestor called pakicetus attocki.

A variety of whale skulls.

A life size mock-up of a blue whale's heart. Blue whales are the largest animals.

A New Zealand invention: a pontoon device used to float stranded whales to deeper water.
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Guests:
Pat Stodart, exhibit tour manager, Whales
Mark Sykes, collection manager, Whales
Harvey Webster, director of wildlife resources, Cleveland Museum of Natural History