Building giants: the origins of extreme biology in baleen whales

须鲸不同于任何其他动物。它们进化出了无与伦比的摄食、听觉、嗅觉、认知能力，最重要的是，它们进化出了有史以来最大的体型。这些极端的特征是须鲸在当今海洋中无与伦比的优势的基础。这些关键适应的起源要求颅骨和牙齿的解剖和功能发生重大变化。然而，须鲸的极端创新究竟是如何以及何时开始的，仍然是动物生物学中一个悬而未决的问题。这项提议旨在将澳大利亚非凡的化石与3D成像、生物力学和进化分析方面的最新进展结合起来，以发现须鲸成功的秘密最初是如何进化的。

Baleen whales are unlike any other animal. They have evolved unparalleled specialisations for feeding, hearing, smell, cognition and – above all – the largest ever body size. These extreme features underlie the unmatched dominance of baleen whales in today's oceans. The origins of these key adaptations required major changes in the anatomy and function of the skull and teeth. However, exactly how and when the extreme innovations of baleen whales began remains an outstanding question in animal biology. This proposal aims to combine exceptional Australian fossils with recent advances in 3D imaging, biomechanics, and evolutionary analysis to discover how the secrets to the success of baleen whales first evolved.