Correction appended.
It may be hard to believe that millions of years ago whales once walked the earth on their own two feet before transitioning to aquatic life, but extensive global research on the evolution of whales has enabled renowned paleontologist Philip Gingerich and his team to uncover the link between whales and land mammals.
Gingerich and his team were the first to find skeletons linking whales to land mammals. He has done most of his fieldwork in the deserts of Pakistan and Egypt.
According to fossil records discovered by Gingerich and his team, whales share a common ancestor with four-footed, hoofed mammals such as cows and hippos.
Phi Beta Kappa honor society will host Gingerich as a PBK Visiting Scholar, presenting “The Origin and Early Evolution of Whales: A Profound Transition from Land to Sea.” A professor of paleontology and geological sciences, Gingerich directs the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan.
History professor Ian McNeely says that PBK honor society is excited to have Gingerich as its guest scholar this year. “Above all, this is just interesting science. Here is an expert talking about whales and evolution, a concrete and accessible subject.”
McNeely said that Gingerich’s experience and the interest on campus are a perfect fit. “We are thrilled that PBK makes it possible for distinguished scholars to have contact with undergraduates,” McNeely said.

University professor Michelle Wood, director of the Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, thinks very highly of Gingerich’s contributions to evolution. “Phil was the first person to show that whales evolved from artiodactyl land mammals, in other words, from even-toed ungulates like camels, deer, giraffes, and cattle,” Wood said.
“What’s interesting is that this reflects two “backwards” steps in evolution, land animals going back to the sea, and highly specialized herbivores becoming carnivores again. It’s very cool.”
These findings demonstrate how species can change in unpredictable ways and that evolution is not always progressive process, but also occurs opportunistically, Gingerich said.
“Not only has Gingerich made incredible contributions to our understanding of how important evolutionary transitions occurred, but he is the kind of scientist who has always taken time for education and public outreach,” Wood said. “He’s a role model for the modern evolutionary biologist – passionate, generous, and creative.”
Geology graduate student Jonathan Calede says he looks forward to Gingerich’s lecture this week.
“The coming of Professor Gingerich to Eugene is a great opportunity for the university and the community. It is particularly important since this year we are celebrating Darwin and ‘The Origin of Species,’ and the University of Oregon has recently got back a vertebrate paleontology program,” Calede said. “This lecture is a great illustration of evolution and will allow more people to discover and hear about paleontology.”
Samantha Hopkins, assistant professor of geology in the Clark Honors College, says that Gingerich’s presentation is something that students will appreciate. “Dr. Gingerich is a great speaker, and has a beautiful story to tell about the evolution of whales. The fossils he has uncovered are really remarkable.”
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Because of a reporter’s error, an article in Monday’s Emerald provided false information about the evolution of whales. Cetaceans, members of the biological order to which whales, dolphins and porpoises belong, are by definition aquatic. Cetaceans’ ancestors were four-legged, hoofed mammals from the Eocene Period. The Emerald regrets the error.