Καλώς διατηρημένο γομφίο δόντι Basilosaurid cf Pappocetus (πρόγονος της φάλαινας) σε μερικό οστό της - Απολιθωμένο σαγόνι

Scientific name: Unidentified Basilosaurid - (primitive whale ancestor) - Potencial cf Pappocetus lugardi - Premolar Tooth in partial dentary bone.

Location: Dakhla, Western Sahara, South Morocco

Geological Formation: Samlat - Aridal Formation

Age: Late Eocene (~40 Million Years)

Size: 10 x 8,2 cm

REF.: #J483

DESCRIPTION:

Nicely preserved premolar tooth from Pappocetus lugardi, a type of protocetid cetacean (early whale ancestor). It is still positioned within the partial dentary and naturally associated with it, in its natural alveoli. These outstanding teeth come from the Middle Eocene-age Aridal and Samlat Formations, located in the Western Sahara near Gueran, Morocco. They're commonly found associated with teeth of the shark Otodus sokolovi (Carcharocles auriculatus), a megalodon ancestor.

There are few glue stabilized cracks through the crown and the dentary bone has spots of gap fill restoration. But nothing serious. Its an amazing specimen.

Pappocetus lugardi is an extinct species of protocetid whale that lived during the Eocene epoch (approximately 40–44 million years ago) in Africa. As a transitional form between land and sea, this amphibious, 20–25 foot long carnivore is considered an ancestor of Basilosaurus and represents a crucial stage in whale evolution.

Key Facts About Pappocetus lugardi:

Discovery: First described by C.W. Andrews in 1920 based on fossils from the Ameki Formation in Nigeria. Additional specimens have been found in the Sahara Desert in Morocco.

Evolutionary Position: Pappocetus belongs to the family Protocetidae, which are early, amphibious whales that could likely move on land using their large limbs, while also being capable swimmers.

Physical Characteristics:
Size: Estimated to be around 20-25 feet in length.
Diet/Habits: A large, amphibious, aquatic carnivore with robust teeth, likely relying on vision and smell for hunting.

Appearance: More whale-like than its predecessors, with a streamlined body, yet retaining functional, though reduced, hind limbs.

Fossil Record: Known from jaw fragments, teeth, and skull material.

Relation to Modern Whales: While it was a transitional form, it is unlikely to have possessed the modern echolocation abilities found in later cetaceans.

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