All right, that's it. I give up!

You see, I have this PowerPoint presentation about the fossil evidence of evolution that I give in my Biology classes every Spring. When I first created the presentation six years ago, it was about 35 slides long, just enough to be given in a regular class period.

That presentation was just the right length. It had enough examples to show the immense documentation of evolutionary transistions in the fossil record without putting my students to sleep with all of the excruciating details.

But paleontologists just keep on digging. They don't bother to consult with Biology teachers like me.

Over the last several years, I have been bombarded with more and more transitional species to add to the presentation.

First, there was Tiktaalik, the "fish-a-pod" with features of lobe-finned fish and tetrapods.

In early 2007, the early mammal Yanoconodon wowed us all with its intermediate inner ear anatomy.

Next, there was Indohyus, a representative of the sister group to whales.

Then we learned about Onychonycteris, the primitive bat which lacked the ability to echolocate.

Just last November, we were hit with Odontochelys, the turtle with half a shell.

Not to mention all of the feathered dinosaurs.

My PowerPoint is now approaching 50 slides!

Well, those dang paleontologists revealed yet another transitional whale fossil today known as Maiacetus.

Here's a photo of the prepared fossil specimen on display at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum:


You can read more about Maiacetus at The Loom. The actual paper is also freely accessible online at PLoS ONE.

Meanwhile, I've got some updating to do.