Whale Evolution: From Land to Sea

Whale Evolution: From Land to Sea

A virtual gallery

Explore the museum’s rich collection of prehistoric whale specimens in a 3D immersive environment accessible anywhere, any time! 

Using the onscreen joysticks, you can move through the belly of a whale skeleton, listen to University of Michigan researchers talk about prehistoric whales, and watch how fossils are cast.  

This virtual gallery unites information and fossils that are spread across museum exhibits, with a bit of additional information, to tell the story of how whales evolved from ancient land mammals into the water-adapted creatures we know today. 

How to Explore

Be patient, whales this ancient take a moment to load. 

If you’re unfamiliar with video game controls, moving around might take some getting used to. Click here to learn all of the ways you can move around the exhibit. To get a closer look, double-click any panels or open them in a new window.

This virtual exhibit was created with assistance from the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology and their 3D imaging project the U-M Online Repository of Fossils (UMORF). It is powered by Saganworks of Ann Arbor.