Cows and Whales

Recently, I noticed an exchange of editorial letters in my hometown “rag”, the Gainesville Sun. One writer wrote to belittle evolution in general and the idea in particular that whales evolved from cows. A few days later, another letter appeared whose writer challenged the first writer to substantiate her views with documentation, particularly the view that anyone had claimed that whales evolved from cows. He also ventured the speculation that this charge had arisen from an “intelligent design” advocate’s works, not from any pro-evolution scientist.

I believe in evolution. If there is such a thing as “intelligent design”, then it must complement, not contradict what is already known about natural selection and species differentiation. If anyone wishes to tailor his/her view of reality to precisely conform with the belief that a certain piece of religious scripture is “infallible”, then that’s all right with me, too. I know several respectable, intelligent people who believe in intelligent design this way. But I operate on the assumption that species evolved over extremely long time spans which are hard for people to get an intuitive feel for. And that the processes of evolution occur on many levels, especially on a submicroscopic molecular level that is equally difficult to picture. Hence, the gross oversimplification about cows and whales.

But I already know that, as mammals, cows and whales do have a common ancestor that was also a mammal, but which has been most probably long, long extinct for several million years. So I set out, with just the Internet, to see how much I could derive about this relationship between cows and whales, as well as their common source.

As it turned out, I didn’t have to go far, for Wikipedia had an excellent article about the evolution of cetaceans. It revealed that, although whales were originally thought to have evolved from carnivorous animals, in the 1990s, DNA and protein analysis seemed to indicate that they stemmed from artiodactyls and bear a close genetic similarity to the hippopotamus. The divergence of what were to eventually become whales, dolphins, and porpoises from other artiodactyls is now thought to have happened around 53-54 million years ago.

The earliest known species that led down the evolutionary road to whales was pakicetus, living about 53 million years ago. Largely linked to later modern cetaceans by its special ear structure, the teeth of pakicetus are also very similar in some aspects to those of fossil whales, according to the article. This article covers a sequence of some species leading up to modern whales: indohyus (48 million years ago), amuocetus, kutchicetus, protocetus, rodhocetus, brachiosaurus, durodon, and later species which were much closer to modern whales.Species from the bovine family, from which modern cattle came, go back to 18-20 million years ago. Their link with whales is rather indirect, the common ancestors going back before the appearance of pakicetus 53 million years ago.

I happen to personally know both the anti-evolution and the pro-evolution editorial letter writers. Both care deeply about this topic and are honest with their expressed opinions. For this I respect both of them, although I wonder how much either of them would respect my own opinions in return were they to read them! What was it that Jesus was reported to have said--Oh yes, it was, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Perhaps the most important thing in successful argumentation is the one thing often completely ignored: value and and show respect to your opponent. And casting them as part of an insidious conspiracy or discounting their opinions because they aren't in the "profession" are definitely NOT signs of respect.