Reconstructing the fossil cetaceans: A modern perspective

Abstract

The scientific illustration has been an important tool in the representation and divulgation of scientific publications, even more in paleontology because allows to visualize how extinct organisms looked through inferences and hypothesis based on science, commonly known as paleoart. The following work addresses paleoartistic reconstruction of some key representatives in the evolutive story of cetaceans: Pakicetus attocki, Protocetus atavus, Zygorhiza kochii, Basilosaurus isis and Mystacodon selenensis contrasted with old representations to reflect the changes that the growing scientific publications have brought with respect to their anatomy and other ecological aspects that help us to understand better these animals.

For this reason, in order to carry out this work, scientific publications were compiled for each fossil taxon and relatives to investigate data on their lifestyle and anatomy, which allowed the creation of a series of illustrations that reflected contemporary knowledge about the chosen taxa, making a contrast with the new illustrations and some of the old representations for each taxon, to highlight the important changes they have had over time, emphasizing the importance of the illustrations in scientific dissemination and reflecting modern knowledge about fossil cetaceans when making scientific illustrations for an effective dissemination of knowledge and to appreciate the old illustrations that also fulfilled their function in their time.