The fossil record of mammal dentition provides crucial insight into key ecological and
functional transitions throughout mammalian evolutionary history. For cetaceans, both extant …

The evolution of filter feeding in baleen whales (Mysticeti) facilitated a wide range of
ecological diversity and extreme gigantism. The innovation of filter feeding evolved in a shift …

The evolutionary success of mammals is rooted in their high metabolic rate. A high
metabolic rate is sustainable thanks to efficient food processing and that in turn is facilitated …

The origin of baleen whales (Mysticeti), the largest animals on Earth, is closely tied to their
signature filter-feeding strategy. Unlike their modern relatives, archaic whales possessed a …

Teeth are often the first structures that anatomists and paleontologists examine to
understand the ecology and morphology of feeding, both because teeth are highly …

The origin of baleen and filter feeding in mysticete cetaceans occurred sometime between
approximately 34 and 24 million years ago and represents a major macroevolutionary shift …

Toothed whales (odontocetes) emit high-frequency underwater sounds (echolocate)—an
extreme and unique innovation allowing them to sense their prey and environment. Their …

The evolution of cetaceans (whales and dolphins) represents one of the most extreme
adaptive transitions known, from terrestrial mammals to a highly specialized aquatic …

Publisher Summary Modern marine mammals exhibit some of the most highly derived
dentitions in all of Mammalia. Among cetaceans, living odontocetes exhibit a wide variety of …

The titanic baleen whales (Cetacea, Mysticeti) have a bizarre skull morphology, including an
elastic mandibular symphysis, which permits dynamic oral cavity expansion during bulk …