The whales we know today are large, fish-like animals that only live in the sea. But the ancestors of these underwater creatures had legs to carry them on land. Now, scientists working in South America have reported the discovery of fossils of a four-legged whale. The scientists believe it lived about 43 million years ago. They say the find is important to helping understand the evolution and movements of these early whales. Paleontologists reported on the discovery in the publication Current Biology. They wrote that a research team discovered the fossils eight years ago in a coastal desert area of southern Peru. Scientists have been studying them and putting together the skeleton. The four-legged whale is called Peregocetus pacificus, which in Latin means “the travelling whale that reached the Pacific Ocean.” It was an ancestor of whales that were amphibious, having the ability to live both on land and in water.
Title: Fossil Discovery Shows Four-Legged Whale Reached South America
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/4ea20bb4-fbdc-4673-ac2a-e077e2e12a7c_hq.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Fossil Discovery Shows Four-Legged Whale Reached South America' data-article-id='3786'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='7583'>The whales we know today are large, fish-like animals that only live in the sea.</span> <span data-start-time='7583' data-end-time='16250'>But the ancestors of these underwater creatures had legs to carry them on land.</span> <span data-start-time='16250' data-end-time='27042'>Now, scientists working in South America have reported the discovery of fossils of a four-legged whale.</span> <span data-start-time='27042' data-end-time='34292'>The scientists believe it lived about 43 million years ago.</span> <span data-start-time='34292' data-end-time='45292'>They say the find is important to helping understand the evolution and movements of these early whales.</span> <span data-start-time='45292' data-end-time='53333'>Paleontologists reported on the discovery in the publication Current Biology.</span> <span data-start-time='53333' data-end-time='63833'>They wrote that a research team discovered the fossils eight years ago in a coastal desert area of southern Peru.</span> <span data-start-time='63833' data-end-time='70375'>Scientists have been studying them and putting together the skeleton.</span> <span data-start-time='70375' data-end-time='83354'>The four-legged whale is called Peregocetus pacificus, which in Latin means “the travelling whale that reached the Pacific Ocean.”</span> <span data-start-time='83354' data-end-time='94042'>It was an ancestor of whales that were amphibious, having the ability to live both on land and in water.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/CC4D105F-B912-4B33-BF71-21F55BAD0CFD_cx0_cy3_cw0_w1023_r1_s.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=12700 data-hint-location='16250' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/what_is_a_fossil.wav'>What is a fossil?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='part of an animal or plant from thousands of years ago, preserved in rock'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/a_grocery_bag.wav'><span>a grocery bag</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/a_breed_of_cat.wav'><span>a breed of cat</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/part_of_an_animal_or_plant_from_thousands_of_years_ago_preserved_in_rock.wav'><span>part of an animal or plant from thousands of years ago, preserved in rock</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/a_traditional_holiday_meal.wav'><span>a traditional holiday meal</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=12701 data-hint-location='34292' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/they_say_the_find_is_important_to_helping_understand_the_evolution_and_movements_of_these_early_what.wav'>They say the find is important to helping understand the evolution and movements of these early what?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='whales'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/whales.wav'><span>whales</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/insects.wav'><span>insects</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/computers.wav'><span>computers</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/people.wav'><span>people</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=12702 data-hint-location='63833' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/scientists_have_been_studying_them_and_putting_together_the__blank_.wav'>Scientists have been studying them and putting together the <span class='blank'>skeleton</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='skeleton'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/hard_drive.wav'><span>hard drive</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/engine.wav'><span>engine</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/puzzle.wav'><span>puzzle</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3273/skeleton.wav'><span>skeleton</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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