DNA: Whales are actually very distant genetically from sharks and other sea life, and are most closely related to hoofed mammals, such as cows, pigs, and deer. Whales evolved from a small, deer-like ancestor that lived on land about 50 million years ago.

Vestigial Bones: Whales are full of evolutionary leftovers, such as the pelvic bone and rear leg bones, which have zero function. Remnants of their land based ancestry.

Fossil Record: We have found numerous intermediate fossils; showing a gradual transition over 50 million years from four-legged ancestors to fully aquatic creatures.

Dr Richard Dawkins is a British evolutionary biologist, zoologist, science communicator, and author. He is an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford, and was Professor for Public Understanding of Science in the University of Oxford. He holds a BA in zoology from Balliol College, Oxford, and a master’s and two doctorates from the same college.