Tutcetusrayanensis : a prehistoric whale found in the Egyptian desert
Researchers from the Center for Vertebrate Paleontology at Mansoura University (MUVP) found the remains of a whale-like creature from 41 million years ago in the Egyptian desert. This is the species Tutcetus Rajanensis , the first identified in the region.
Tutcetusrayanensis was only 2.5 meters long and lived du Phone Number List ring the Eocene period . The fossil remains were found in the western desert of Egypt, in a special region known as Wadi Al-Hitan. The creature is not a modern whale or its ancestor. It is a basilosaurid, an extinct branch of cetaceans whose main differentiating element is that they were exclusively aquatic animals.
The team found it by chance. Paleontologists identified a tooth exposed on a block of limestone. When they cleaned and analyzed it, they immediately knew that this was not a known record. The tooth showed signs of belonging to a more primitive animal than the rest of those found in the area. When they unearthed more fossilized bones, they confirmed that they were looking at a basilosaurid , the first of its kind in that part of Egypt.
The team poses in front of the fossilized remains of the pharaoh whale Tutcetus Rayanensis.
The team poses in front of the fossilized remains of Tutcetus Rayanensis , the pharaoh whale. (Photo: MUVP)
The Sahara Desert, the warmest and largest ecosystem in the world, millions of years ago was a sea route that crossed northwest Africa. The Wadi Al-Hitan region was teeming with cetacean ancestors for millions of years. Its name in Arabic means Valley of the Whales . Although fossils of this class of creatures are not something new for national paleontologists, the presence of basilosaurids is.
Tutcetusrayanensis is the smallest specimen of the basilosauridae family identified . The scientific community agreed that the minimum length of a basilosaurid was four meters and the maximum was 16. The creature found by scientists is tiny. Investigators believe he weighed about 187 kilos. It is also the oldest fully aquatic whale recorded on African soil.
http://www.vietnamdata.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Phone-Number-List-.png
Tutcetusrayanensis.
El Tutcetus rayanensis. (Photo: MUVP)
Through dental wear they obtained an approximation to their diet. It would have fed on small squid and crustaceans, similar to what modern dolphins do. The development of their bones and teeth indicates that Tutcetus Rajanensis lived fast and died early. The animal found, despite its size, was already in its adult life.
The name comes from Pharaoh Tutankhamun ( Tut ) and the Greek word for whales ( Cetus ) while Rayanensis is a tribute to the Wadi el-Rayan nature reserve , where the valley is located. This is a region protected by UNESCO and since 2005 it has been a world heritage site.
頁:
[1]