There are gaps between land mammals and whales (Talk.Origins)

Claim CC216.1:

There are gaps between land mammals and whales.

Source:
 * Gish, Duane T., 1994.When is a whale a whale? Impact 250 (Apr.).

CreationWiki response:

The wording of this claim is actual rather generous. The main link (Indocetus ramani) given by Talk.Origins is too fragmented to do anything with. Everything before it is a land animal or semi-aquatic and everything after it is a whale. So there is at least one really big gap that Indocetus ramani at best turns into two gaps.

In actuality the only thing this sequence really has going for it is that it seems to be naturally in the correct order.

While Pakicetus is known mainly from skulls, a partial skeleton has also been found showing that Pakicetus was mainly a land animal. There is nothing transitional about it. It is not even a mosaic.

Ambulocetus natans is based on only fragmented evidence. While a more complete skeleton has been found, even that lacks some critical parts, like the shoulder and upper forelimb. This makes the whole reconstruction questionable at best, but as we have seen, evolutionists do not require much in the way of fossil remains to reconstruct an animal in a manner favorable to evolution. Since the front legs are incomplete it is likely that Talk.Origins' description is more a result of evolutionary assumptions than reality.

The only real similarities that Ambulocetus natans has with whales is nose features that allowed it to swallow underwater, and ear structure that allowed them to hear well underwater. Ambulocetus natans seems to have spent much time both on land and under water, but that does not make it transitional.
 * Reference: Ambulocetus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Indocetus ramani is known only from partial remains, including the skull, pelvic bones, vertebrae, and parts of hind limb bones. There is no other information about Indocetus ramani, not even a description of why evolutionists consider it to be transitional.
 * Reference: The Overselling of Whale Evolution

Dorudon and Basilosaurus seem to be varieties of the same created kind.

As in "modern" whales, the so-called legs help with reproduction and have nothing to do with feet. The designation of the rear appendages as vestigial legs is based purely on the assumption of evolutionary change.

The far forward position of the blowhole on this fossil simply show the past variety among baleen whales. The rib bones to vertebrae attachments and length of arm bones are more impressive but there is no indication of them in "older" as well as "later" whales, so no hint of real transition.

Anthracotheres only links hippos with whales if one accepts both transitions.

Talk.Origins is being deceptive by calling Artiocetus and Rodhocetus primitive whales. While they may both have been largely aquatic, both have substantial limbs. The fact that their ankle bones show artiodactyl traits only shows a relationship if one assumes evolution.

For more information see:(Talk.Origins) Cetaceans