The artiodactyls are ungulate mammals with an even number of toes. This includes a wide array of familiar animals including pigs, cows, sheep, goats, hippos, camels, deer, giraffes, and antelopes.
The contrasting group, perissodactyls, are animals with an odd number of toes (and one middle toe bearing the weight), which includes horses, zebras, rhinoceroses, and tapirs.
mesonychids were the carnivorous-artiodactyls (i.e with hooves) that got replaced by true carnivores like cats (which have claws) today there are no carnivorous-artiodactyls only omnivorous-artiodactyls (pigs) and herbivorous-artiodactyls (hippos)
Perissodactyls (odd-toed ungulates like horses and rhinos) and Carnivora (carnivorous mammals like cats and dogs) are least closely related to artiodactyls in terms of evolutionary history and morphological characteristics.
Whales and other cetacean mammals likely developed from artiodactyls (even-toed ungulates) which are represented on land by hippos and horses, not wolves.
There are hundreds of mammals, not just 5.
Prehistoric even-toed ungulates (or artiodactyls)
Modern whales are believed to be related to ancient mammals based on several lines of evidence, including fossil records, anatomical similarities, and genetic studies. Fossils of early cetaceans, such as Pakicetus and Ambulocetus, show transitional features between land-dwelling mammals and modern whales. Additionally, molecular analyses reveal genetic links between whales and terrestrial mammals, particularly artiodactyls (even-toed ungulates), supporting their evolutionary relationship. These findings collectively illustrate the evolutionary journey of whales from land to water.
It is currently believed that the first Artiodactyls lived in the Early Eocene epoch 55 million years ago.
Artiodactyla order includes mammals with an even number of toes on each foot, specialized stomachs for digesting plant material, and typically herbivorous diets. Many artiodactyls have a keen sense of smell and hearing, and are known for their diverse adaptations for survival in various habitats. Examples include deer, antelopes, pigs, and hippos.
Of the same family. These even toed ( artiodactyls ) are of a ancient family of carnivorous mesonychids of the Eocene period. Of the cetacean ancestry by ear bone comparison.
Millions of Years Ago65 + Cenozoic Tertiary Paleocene Mammals become abundant| . . . after extinction of| . . . dinosaurs and large| . . . reptiles; by the| beginning of the Eocene60 + rodents and primates| have evolved|||55 +| Eocene Mammals dominant:| . rodents, artiodactyls,| . carnivores, perisso-| . dactyls (including50 + horses); whales make| their first appearance1 MILLION THE REST IS FALSE ;)
Whales and dolphins are believed to have evolved from artiodactyls. This is supported by genetic and anatomical evidence, showing a close evolutionary relationship between these groups.
DNA evidence supports whales' evolutionary pathway by revealing genetic similarities between whales and terrestrial mammals, particularly artiodactyls like hippos. Molecular studies show that whales share a common ancestor with these land-dwelling mammals, indicating a transition from land to water. The analysis of specific genes and DNA sequences has helped trace the evolutionary changes that enabled adaptations for aquatic life, such as modifications in limb structure and respiratory systems. Overall, genetic data provides a clear molecular framework that aligns with fossil evidence of whale evolution.