Ambulocetus fossil map
Where fossils of Ambulocetus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 45 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 45 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 48.07–41.03 million years ago (Lutetian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Ambulocetidae |
| Named by | Thewissen et al. 1994 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Pakistan |
| Rock formations | Kuldana |
About Ambulocetus
Ambulocetus (from Latin ambulō, meaning "to walk", and cetus, meaning "whale", and thus, "walking whale") is a genus of early semiaquatic cetacean from the Kuldana Formation in Pakistan, roughly 48 or 47 million years ago during the Early Eocene (Lutetian). It contains one species, Ambulocetus natans (Latin natans "swimming"), known solely from one near-complete skeleton. Ambulocetus is among the best-studied of Eocene cetaceans, and serves as an instrumental find in the study of cetacean evolution and their transition from land to sea, as it was the first cetacean discovered to preserve a suite of adaptations consistent with an amphibious lifestyle. Ambulocetus is classified in the group Archaeoceti—the ancient forerunners of modern cetaceans whose members span the transition from land to sea—and in the family Ambulocetidae, which includes Himalayacetus and Gandakasia (also from the Eocene of the Indian subcontinent).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Ambulocetus (revision 1367475205), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q132405.
