Bluewater acrobatsJan 1, 2003
Until now, little was known about just how and why whales made their permanent transition from land to sea. To help understand this, recently conducted research at University College in London has discovered that whales developed a specialized ear canal that it made it difficult for the animals to walk on land.
Scientists determined that the whales' semicircular ear canals developed in such a way that they are very small in comparison to the size of their head, making them less prone to dizziness, unlike humans and other mammals, who are especially prone to sea sickness and spatial disorientation. As a result, whales are much less sensitive to rapid acrobatic and head movement.