The presence of a backbone, tail, and pelvis femur in whales is evidence that they evolved from land mammals because these features are characteristic of terrestrial vertebrates. Whales have a vestigial pelvis and femur, which are remnants of their ancestors' hind limbs. This suggest that at some point in their evolutionary history, whales were a species of land-dwelling mammals that gradually adapted to living in water.
The presence of a tail in whales is also significant because it is a common feature of vertebrates, including many terrestrial mammals. The tail is essential for propulsion and balance in aquatic environments, and its presence in whales suggests a common evolutionary origin with other vertebrates.
Overall, the presence of these anatomical features in whales supports the idea that they share a common ancestor with land mammals and have adapted over time to their aquatic environment through a process of evolution.
How does the evidence that whales have a backbone, tail, and pelvis femur support the idea that whales evolved from land mammals?
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