Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MYSTICETI (The oldest and the rarest - combining insight from both hemispheres to gain a global picture of baleen whale origins and macroevolution)

Cetaceans (whales and dolphins) are a spectacular example of secondary adaptation of vertebrates to aquatic life. Whales, in particular, are the largest animals on Earth, and play key ecological roles as ecosystem engineers. They owe their success to their highly specialised...