Whales used to be land predators? Fascinating video explains how they're related to wolves.
But not all mysteries are solved.

Did seals get lost in the mix?
I think it’s pretty safe to say that when it comes to evolution, most people typically picture aquatic life forms sprouting legs then coming onto land … not the other way around.
Shockingly enough, a creature almost synonymous with the sea didn’t actually begin that way. And boy, is it a whale of a tale.
A mind-blowing video recently posted by PBS Eons reveals that whales were actually predatory land animals … the same ones that would later become wolves, specifically.
Yep, you read that right. Land animals. With arms and legs and everything.
To explain, we’ll need to go back 52 million years.
Before the warm and rainy Eocene epoch—the same time period that brought us the first horses and bats—whales looked more like the image below.
Something like a mix between a wolf and crocodile, if you ask me.
You know it's hotter under the water.
Yes, animals did move from the sea to the land, bringing us the first mammals. But then, over time, some mammals were like, "nah, it's that ocean life for me." Including some of these fellas.
These creatures first went into the water during the Eocene time period and eventually traded in their arms to become “sleeker and more streamlined,” while still holding onto their teeth.
By now they look less like a wolf and more like a murderous dolphin.
You're welcome for the nightmare fuel.
Cut to roughly 34-36 million years ago, and the species have diversified into the two major whale groups we see today: the Odontoceti (or “toothed whales”), which include sperm whales, orcas and dolphins, and the Mysticeti, better known as baleen whales … you know, those big guys with the filter-like “teeth” (aka baleen) that eat loads and loads of plankton?
The baleen whale’s evolution in particular has scientists a bit baffled, as there is no definitive evidence as to how, when or even why they began filter feeding in the first place. In fact, the first fossil of a mysticetes appeared around 36 million years ago, but baleen doesn’t show up until later, around 11 million years ago. Even the baleen’s oldest ancestor, the Mystacadon, according to the PBS video, showed no signs of baleen when researchers discovered it in 2019.
One theory: The cooled ocean current of the Oligocene epoch brought about an abundance of nutrients—specifically plankton—which made it more advantageous to bulk feed rather than hunt for single prey. This also helps explain the giant boom in different whale species.
Still, it’s all up for debate, and likely will be for a while since ancient baleen is hard to come by. Baleen, unlike teeth, is made of keratin, the same biodegradable substance hair and nails are made out of and, therefore, doesn’t fossilize well.
As the host cleverly quipped, “It’s basically like a big mustache inside the whale's mouth.”
Bottom line: We know a lot about nature, but there is still so much to learn.
If you’d like to find out more—like how the Mystacadon ate its prey by doing a super weird thing called suction feeding—you can check out the full video here:
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."