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What might be the missing evolutionary link between whales and land animals is an odd animal that looks like a long-tailed deer without antlers or an overgrown long-legged rat, fossils indicate.The creature is called Indohyus, and recently unearthed fossils reveal some crucial evolutionary similarities between it and water-dwelling cetaceans, such as whales, dolphins and porpoises.He [Thewissen] said it most resembles the current African mousedeer, which has a rat-like nose and "when danger approaches, it jumps in the water and hides."India and Pakistan were the general region where early whales lived. That matches with the Indohyus, but not the early African hippos, Thewissen said.While modern-day cetaceans are known to be smart, early whales and Indohyus had small brains, the researcher said.Other scientists were intrigued, but far from convinced, especially since the case for hippos has looked good, they said.