Egyptian sands reveal 41 million year old whale
Archaeologists have discovered in Egypt the bones of an extinct 41-million-year-old whale, one of the "oldest extinct specimens in Africa," the American University in Cairo (AUC) reported.
The whale was baptized as Tutcetus rayanensis. The term derives from the name of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, from "cetus", which is Greek for whale, and from Wadi al-Rayan, the Fayoum region, south of Cairo, where it was discovered.
It is "the smallest basilosaurid whale discovered to date and one of the oldest specimens of this species in Africa," the AUC said in its statement.
“Crucial stage of evolution from land to sea”
The discovery represents a "crucial stage in the land-to-sea evolution of whales," explains Hicham Salam, a member of the research team who found a skull, jaws, bones and a vertebra of an estimated 2.5-metre-long and a 187 kg mass whale.
During this stage, whales “have developed fish-like characteristics, such as a streamlined body, strong tail, or fins. Furthermore, they show the last traces of limbs visible enough to qualify as paws, which they probably used for reproduction and not walking,” he detailed in the statement.
- The fossil was found in a part of Egypt that was once covered by the sea, which also includes the Valley of the Whales, where "extremely valuable" fossil remains can be found, says Unesco.
- In August 2021, Egyptian archaeologists have already discovered the fossil of a new 43-million-year-old amphibious whale species in the Fayoum region.
With its tail over three meters long and weighing around 600 kilos, the Fioumicetus anubis was presented by the Egyptian government as "the most ferocious and oldest whale in Africa".
In 2018, a team of scientists discovered the first dinosaur skeleton in Africa, dating back more than 75 million years.
Despite its modest size, Tutcetus has provided scientists with considerable insight into the life history, phylogeny and paleobiogeography of early whales.The Basilosauridae, a family of extinct, fully aquatic whales, represent a crucial stage in the evolution of whales.As they transitioned from land to sea, basilosaurids evolved fish-like characteristics, such as a streamlined body, strong tail, fins, and tail fin.Their hind legs, which previously served on the ground, were no longer used for walking but perhaps for mating.
Through detailed analyzes of Tutcetu's teeth and bones using CT scanning, the team reconstructed the growth and development pattern of the species. Rapid dental development and small bone size suggest that the whale was precocious, meaning it was able to move and feed from birth. The discovery also adds to our understanding of how competitive and adaptable basilosaurids were during their transition from land to sea. The team's findings suggest that this transition likely occurred in the (sub)tropics.
