Research in whale origins is now in an explosive phase, with a cascade of discoveries adding to our understanding of the evolutionary pattern and a suite of new techniques being applied to address new questions. The objective of this volume is to provide a snapshot of this explosion. The volume paints the scene with a broad brush. Taken together the chapters clearly indicate that cetacean origins is a field that is dynamic, multidisciplinary, and that the end of the explosive phase is not in sight.

`....it offers important anatomical vignettes such as those relating to hearing and swimming. All told, the contributors have created an extremely data-rich volume from which scholars will glean knowledge for years to come.'
Science, 283 (1999)
`Up to now, a `state of the art' summary ... had not been available. This book admirably fills that void and should be added to the library of any serious mammalogist and paleomammalogist.'
Journal of Mammalogy, 80:4 (1999)
`The Emergence of Whales ends with excellent summaries about our knowledge to date of early whale evolution. The book is a very ggod source of informatiom on the early whales and is necessary reading for anyome involved in whale paleobiology and evolution.'
American Scientist, 87 (1999)