Ambulocetidae

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Ambulocetidae
Fossil range: Early Eocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetacea
Suborder: Archaeoceti
Family: Ambulocetidae
Thewissen et al, 1996
Genera

Ambulocetidae is a family of early cetaceans that still were able to walk on land. The genus Ambulocetus, after which the family is named, is by far the most complete and well-known ambulocetid genus due to the discovery by Thewissen et al. of a very complete specimen of Ambulocetus natans. The other genus in the family, Gandakasia, is known only from a single jaw fragment.

Ambulocetid fossils have been found in India and Pakistan, the former coastline of Cimmeria. The sedimentary facies in which these fossils were found indicates that ambulocetids inhabited a shallow, swampy nearshore marine environment.

[edit] See also

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