"Back to the Sea" exhibit tells a whale of an evolutionary tale

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—An updated, permanent exhibit on whale evolution, opening April 9 at the University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History, presents the story of how these massive mammals evolved from typical land dwellers to creatures that spend their whole lives in the sea. "Back to the Sea: The Evolution of Whales," showcases decades of research spearheaded by U-M paleontologist Philip Gingerich. Since the 1980s, Gingerich and colleagues have located and mapped remains of more than a thousand whales in an area of the Egyptian desert known as Wadi Al-Hitan (Valley of the Whales), now a UNESCO World Heritage site. This area was underwater 37 million years ago, when whales, sea cows and other marine animals called it home. The exhibit also features discoveries from Gingerich's field work in Pakistan. "Back to the Sea: The Evolution of Whales," an updated exhibit showcasing the research of U-M paleontologist Philip Gingerich, opens April 9 at the Exhibit Museum of Natural History. Here, Exhibit Museum preparator Dan Erickson puts finishing touches on a 50-foot-long skeleton of the extinct whale Basilosaurus isis.