πŸ“– what

What is a cetacean?

AnimalsEvolution

Quick Answer

A cetacean is a fully aquatic mammal such as a whale, dolphin, or porpoise. Cetaceans breathe air, nurse their young, and evolved from land-dwelling ancestors.

The Full Story

Cetaceans include the largest animals on Earth, as well as smaller dolphins and porpoises. Although they live in water, they are mammals: they breathe through lungs, give birth to live young, and feed them milk. Fossil evidence shows that cetaceans evolved from land mammals millions of years ago and gradually adapted to aquatic life. Their bodies became streamlined, their forelimbs turned into flippers, and their nostrils moved to the top of the head as blowholes.

Key Facts

1.Whales, dolphins, and porpoises are cetaceans
2.They evolved from land mammals
3.They breathe air with lungs

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"How land mammals became whales"