Whales are another group that appears suddenly. They have been tied to many small land species that resemble raccoons. Indohyus and Pakicetus are examples. But these species are tiny compared to whales, so all comparisons are silly, but done anyway. And if you doubt that these tiny furred quadrupeds evolved into the largest animals to ever exist on the earth, you are, of course, a fool. “Like the bats, the whales (using the term in a general and inclusive sense) appear suddenly in early Tertiary times, fully adapted by profound modifications of the basic mammalian structure for a highly specialized mode of life.” (Colbert, 1955, p. 303)

Not only whales appeared suddenly, but their unique hearing system, which is totally internal, also appeared quickly: Cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) have unique semicircular canals that allow them to be highly acrobatic swimmers without becoming dizzy. A team of international scientists, including Hans Thewissen, an anatomist and paleontologist at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM), investigated this organ in ancient fossils. The researchers found that early whales acquired this special trait quickly and early on in their evolution. This was a defining event that likely resulted in their total independence of life on land. (A quickly forming whale with a quickly forming auditory system? My gawd, how do they know this? Astounding.)