Whale & Dolphin and Splash magazines asked me to illustrate these fun spot illustrations, to go into a double page spread explaining to kids how the whale evolved from prehistoric times to its current modern form
Above is the "Rodhocetus". It was an otter-like prehistoric whale that had a flexible spine and is the earliest known mammal to swim using mainly their tail for propulsion
Ambulocetus means the 'walking whale'. They could walk on their short legs and swim using their powerful tails and big, paddle-like feet
Basilosaurus wasn't a dinosaur but a giant, ancient whale who lived entirely at sea. They had serpent-like bodies, powerful tails with small flukes, blowholes, front flippers and teeny back legs
Dorudon was a smaller whale living in the ocean at the same time as Basilosaurus. They ate fish and swam ust like a dolphin. Their descendants went on to evolve into modern whales and dolphins
Pakicetus looked more like a wolf than a whale, but did spend time in the water. They had pointy teeth for eating fish, tell-tale ear bones and their eyes were on top of their head, allowing them to see above water.
Indohyus was the last land-based whale ancestor. This small, deer-like mammal's skull and ear bones were whale-like. It had heavy leg bones which helped weigh it down on the riverbed, to hide from predators
Here are the six spot illustrations in the spread