IDNLearn.com provides a comprehensive platform for finding accurate answers. Discover reliable and timely information on any topic from our network of experienced professionals.
Answer:
A primitive whale which he named Pakicetus.
Explanation:
Philip Gingrich is a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Michigan. He has performed extensive research on whales at the Egyptian desert of Wadi Hitan. His research team member discovered a skull whose braincase was bigger than that of a walnut. Gingerich was able to link the small-brained animal, to an early whale.
The auditory bulla had an s-shaped bony crest known as the sigmoid process and these two features helped whales to hear in water. The case, however lacked other features that helped whales hear beneath the waves. This led Gingrich to the conclusion that the unknown animal was semi-aquatic. This finding also lent credence to the possibility of whales evolving from terrestrial animals.