The newly-identified species of basilosaurid whale has been named Tutcetus rayanensis after the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. This new species is not only the smallest known basilosaurid, but it is also one of the oldest records of the family from Africa.
Tutcetus rayanensis inhabited the Tethys Ocean approximately 41 million years ago.
The whale is the smallest basilosaurid known to date and is estimated to have been around 2.5 m (8 feet) in length and about 187 kg in body mass.
It is not only the smallest basilosaurid whale yet discovered, but it is also one of the oldest records worldwide.
“Basilosauridae, a group of extinct fully aquatic whales, represents a crucial stage in whale evolution, as they transitioned from land to sea,” said American University’s Professor Hesham Sallam and colleagues.
“They developed fish-like characteristics, such as a streamlined body, a strong tail, flippers, and a tail fin, and had the last hind limbs visible enough to be recognized as ‘legs,’ which were not used for walking but possibly for mating.”
“Whales’ evolution from land-dwelling animals to beautiful marine creatures embodies the marvelous adventurous journey of life,” Professor Sallam added.
“Tutcetus rayanensis is a remarkable discovery that documents one of the first phases of the transition to a fully aquatic lifestyle that took place in that journey.”
The fossilized skull, jaw, teeth and vertebrae of Tutcetus rayanensis were found in the Sath El-Hadid Formation of the Fayum Depression in Egypt.
The individual was near adulthood, but had not reached full adulthood, as the bones within its skull and vertebrae had fused together and its permanent teeth were at an advanced stage of emergence — with its permanent molars having emerged before its anterior premolars, incisors, and canines.
The paleontologists speculate that the smaller body size of Tutcetus rayanensis, compared to other basilosaurids, may have evolved in response…
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