Richard Dawkins: Show me the intermediate fossils! - Nebraska Vignettes #1
Richard Dawkins shows how whales evolved from a cloven-hoofed ancestor, and reveals whales' closest modern-day cousin. Download Quicktime version (720p HD): http://cdn.cloudfiles.mosso.com/c116...
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- People often say, “Where are the intermediate fossils? Show us your intermediate fossils.” There are plenty of intermediate fossils, and one of the best examples is whales. The modern whales are up there. Here’s a series of fossils back in time: Dorudon about 36 million years ago, Rodhocetus about 47 1/2 million years, Pakicetus about 48 1/2 million years. And you can see they form a lovely series of intermediates. As you go from old to young, Pakicetus, Rodhocetus, you’re gradually losing the hind legs to Dorudon, which has almost lost the hind legs completely. Modern whales have completely lost the hind legs. There are some vestigial bones, some remnant bones buried deep inside the body. A lovely series of intermediates getting pro...
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- People often say, “Where are the intermediate fossils? Show us your intermediate fossils.” There are plenty of intermediate fossils, and one of the best examples is whales. The modern whales are up there. Here’s a series of fossils back in time: Dorudon about 36 million years ago, Rodhocetus about 47 1/2 million years, Pakicetus about 48 1/2 million years. And you can see they form a lovely series of intermediates. As you go from old to young, Pakicetus, Rodhocetus, you’re gradually losing the hind legs to Dorudon, which has almost lost the hind legs completely. Modern whales have completely lost the hind legs. There are some vestigial bones, some remnant bones buried deep inside the body. A lovely series of intermediates getting pro...
