Earliest Mysticete from the Late Eocene of Peru Sheds New Light on the Origin of Baleen Whales

Although combined molecular and morphological analyses point to a late middle Eocene (38–39 million years ago) origin for the clade Neoceti (Odontoceti, echolocating toothed whales plus Mysticeti, baleen whales, and relatives), the oldest known mysticete fossil dates from the latest Eocene (about 34 million years ago) of Antarctica [1Marx F.G. Fordyce R.E. Baleen boom and bust: a synthesis of mysticete phylogeny, diversity and disparity.R. Soc....