Scientists have discovered that once mammals, such as dolphins or orcas, have become fully aquatic, they pass a threshold that makes a return to terrestrial landscapes almost impossible
The chances of aquatic mammals — like orcas, dolphins and whales — ever evolving to live on land again are almost nonexistent, a new study has found. Researchers discovered that the adaptations that allowed these animals to live in water have passed an evolutionary threshold that marks the point of no return to terrestrial life.
The transition to land happened only once, yet the transition back to water has happened repeatedly — leading researchers to question whether aquatic mammals could readapt to terrestrial life, and if not, why? To test this idea in mammals, the researchers divided thousands of species into four categories: fully terrestrial species, those with some aquatic adaptations but that are still mobile on land, species with limited locomotion on land, and fully aquatic groups, like whales.
The team found that there is a threshold between semiaquatic and fully aquatic species, and once that threshold has been passed, the aquatic adaptations are irreversible. Transitions to aquatic environments were associated with multiple changes, including an increased body mass that helped them retain heat in colder environments and a carnivorous diet to support their heightened metabolisms. Such changes may make it difficult to compete against terrestrial lifeforms, Bruna told Live Science.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Dolphins and orcas have passed the evolutionary point of no return to live on land againScientists have discovered that once a mammal has become fully aquatic, it passes a threshold that makes a return to terrestrial landscapes almost impossible.
Read more »
XRP Whales in Spotlight as Cryptocurrency Prices SoarData analytics provider Lookonchain has revealed intriguing trends in buying and selling habits of four significant XRP holders
Read more »
Ethereum (ETH) Whales Selling Their Holdings, What's Happening?$ETH whales actively taking profits after the second-biggest cryptocurrency exceeded $2,000
Read more »
Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill predicts he’ll become first to break 2,000 yards in 2023Tyreek Hill wants to make 2023 his own Y2K.
Read more »
Four Swimmers Injured in Dolphins Attacks Off Popular Japanese BeachA man in his 60s suffered broken ribs and bites to the hand after a dolphin attacked him in shallow water off the coast of central Japan, officials said.
Read more »
More Than 50 Whales Die After Getting Beached in ScotlandMarine rescuers had their hands full Sunday morning when a pod of 55 pilot whales washed ashore a Scottish beach.
Read more »