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'''Whales''' are marine mammals of the order [[Cetacea]], and a clear [[Counterexample to the Theory of Evolution]].

'''Whales''' are marine mammals of the order [[Cetacea]], and a clear [[counterexample to the Theory of Evolution]].

== Description ==

== Description ==

Whales are separated into the toothed whales, ''Odontocetes'' (which includes [[dolphin]]s, [[porpoise]]s, [[narwhal]]s, beaked whales and [[sperm whale]]s), and the whalebone, or baleen, whales, also called ''Mysticetes''. The latter are mostly very large, which, instead of teeth, have baleen (whalebone) to filter small prey from the water; they are what people generally think of when the word whale is used. The whalebone whales include the rorquals - the [[blue whale]], fin whale, sei whale, Bryde's whale, [[minke whale]], and humpback whale; the [[grey whale]]; and the various [[right whale]]s.

Whales are separated into the toothed whales, ''Odontocetes'' (which includes [[dolphin]]s, [[porpoise]]s, [[narwhal]]s, beaked whales and [[sperm whale]]s), and the whalebone, or baleen, whales, also called ''Mysticetes''. The latter are mostly very large, which, instead of teeth, have baleen (whalebone) to filter small prey from the water; they are what people generally think of when the word whale is used. The whalebone whales include the rorquals - the [[blue whale]], fin whale, sei whale, Bryde's whale, [[minke whale]], and humpback whale; the [[grey whale]]; and the various [[right whale]]s.

Although whales are famed for the massive size reached by some species, such as the blue whale (the largest animal to ever live), others are relatively small, like the pygmy right whale which grows to about 20 feet.<ref>[http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/PygmyRightWhale.htm] American Cetacean Society website</ref>  Though whales have many traits in common with fish (including fins and tails) they are [[classification system|classified]] as [[mammal]]s under the [[Linnaean taxonomy]] classification system because they breathe air and lactate. Whales have a number of remarkable features including:

Although whales are famed for the massive size reached by some species, such as the blue whale (the largest animal to ever live), others are relatively small, like the pygmy right whale which grows to about 20 feet.<ref>[http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/PygmyRightWhale.htm] American Cetacean Society website</ref>  Though whales have many traits in common with fish (including fins and tails) they are [[classification system|classified]] as [[mammal]]s under the [[Linnaean taxonomy]] classification system because they breathe air and lactate. Whales have a number of remarkable features including:

* they decide when to breathe, rather than breathing unconsciously

* they decide when to breathe, rather than breathing unconsciously

* they sleep 8 hours a day, yet need to be conscious to breathe

* they sleep 8 hours a day, yet need to be conscious to breathe

* they can communicate with each other by making remarkably loud noises

* they can communicate with each other by making remarkably loud noises

* these extraordinary noises can travel for miles under water

* these extraordinary noises can travel for miles underwater

* the females nurse their calves while swimming underwater

* the females nurse their calves while swimming underwater

* the males have a unique cooling system for their internal reproductive organs, involving the circulation of cooled blood from the extremities directly around the [[testes]] before returning to the [[heart]]

* the males have a unique cooling system for their internal reproductive organs, involving the circulation of cooled blood from the extremities directly around the [[testes]] before returning to the [[heart]]

== Origins ==

== Origins ==

The question of how whales and their relatives could have evolved from terrestrial [[mammal]]s has intrigued evolutionary biologists since [[Charles Darwin|Darwin's]] suggestion that they may have evolved from ancient mammals who ventured into the water. As an example of how this change could begin, Darwin pointed out the behavior of black bears. <blockquote>"In North America the black bear was seen . . . swimming for hours with widely open mouth, thus catching, like a whale, insects in the water. Even in so extreme a case as this, if the supply of insects were constant, and if better adapted competitors did not already exist in the country, I can see no difficulty in a race of bears being rendered, by natural selection, more and more aquatic in their structure and habits, with larger and larger mouths, till a creature was produced as monstrous as a whale."</blockquote><ref>Charles Darwin, [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1228 Origin of species] 1st edition</ref>

The question of how whales and their relatives could have evolved from terrestrial [[mammal]]s has intrigued evolutionary biologists since [[Charles Darwin]]'s suggestion that they may have evolved from ancient bears. <blockquote>"In North America the black bear was seen . . . swimming for hours with widely open mouth, thus catching, like a whale, insects in the water. Even in so extreme a case as this, if the supply of insects were constant, and if better adapted competitors did not already exist in the country, I can see no difficulty in a race of bears being rendered, by natural selection, more and more aquatic in their structure and habits, with larger and larger mouths, till a creature was produced as monstrous as a whale."</blockquote><ref>Charles Darwin, [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1228 Origin of species] 1st edition</ref>

In more recent times evolutionary biologists have suggested that modern whales and their relatives arose from ancient [[Artiodactyla|artiodactyls]] (even-toed ungulates such as [[deer]] and [[hippopotamus|hippopotami]]).<ref>[http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/41080/molecular_clock_divergence_estimates_and_the_fossil_record_of_cetartiodactyla/index.html] Theodore, JM (2004) Molecular Clock Divergence Estimates And The Fossil Record Of Cetartiodactyla '' The Journal Of Paleontology'' '''78''':39-44</ref>

In more recent times, evolutionists have suggested that modern whales and their relatives arose from ancient [[Artiodactyla|artiodactyls]] (even-toed ungulates such as [[deer]] and [[hippopotamus|hippopotami]]).<ref>[http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/41080/molecular_clock_divergence_estimates_and_the_fossil_record_of_cetartiodactyla/index.html] Theodore, JM (2004) Molecular Clock Divergence Estimates And The Fossil Record Of Cetartiodactyla '' The Journal Of Paleontology'' '''78''':39-44</ref>

More specifically, they believe that whales evolved from Pakicetus through Aetiocetus, because of the similarities in their bone structure. For example, Pakicetus has nostrils at the front of its skull, Aetiocetus has nostrils in the middle of its skull, and the modern gray whale has nostrils at the top of its skull<ref>[https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/lines_03]University of California, Berkeley, ''Understanding Evolution''</ref>. This kinship has been termed the whippo hypothesis.<ref>http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/pdfs/data/1999/15619/15619-10.pdf</ref>

More specifically, they believe that whales evolved from Pakicetus through Aetiocetus, because of the similarities in their bone structure. For example, Pakicetus has nostrils at the front of its skull, Aetiocetus has nostrils in the middle of its skull, and the modern gray whale has nostrils at the top of its skull<ref>[https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/lines_03]University of California, Berkeley, ''Understanding Evolution''</ref>. This kinship has been termed the whippo hypothesis.<ref>http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/pdfs/data/1999/15619/15619-10.pdf</ref>

Evolutionary biologists estimate the last ancestor of whales and hippos lived about 25 million years ago.<ref>[http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/lines/IAtransitional.shtml] UCLA Berkley Understanding Evolution for Teachers website</ref> This theory of cetacean origins contrasts with the [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationist]] position that whales were [[creation|created]] about 6000 years ago, ''before'' land animals .<ref>Sarfati, Jonathan [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3834/106/ Whale evolution?] ''Refuting Evolution'', Chapter 5.</ref><ref>Batten, Don, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1776 A whale of a tale?] ''Journal of Creation'' 8(1):2–3, April 1994.</ref><ref>Williams, Alexander, and Sarfati, Jonathan, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1862 Not at all like a whale], ''Creation'' 27(2):20–22, March 2005.</ref>

Evolutionary biologists estimate the last ancestor of whales and hippos lived about 25 million years ago.<ref>[http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/lines/IAtransitional.shtml] UCLA Berkley Understanding Evolution for Teachers website</ref> This theory of cetacean origins contrasts with the [[Young earth creationism|young earth creationist]] position that whales were [[creation|created]] about 6000 years ago, ''before'' land animals .<ref>Sarfati, Jonathan [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3834/106/ Whale evolution?] ''Refuting Evolution'', Chapter 5.</ref><ref>Batten, Don, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1776 A whale of a tale?] ''Journal of Creation'' 8(1):2–3, April 1994.</ref><ref>Williams, Alexander, and Sarfati, Jonathan, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1862 Not at all like a whale], ''Creation'' 27(2):20–22, March 2005.</ref>