Newly Discovered Ancient Tiny Whale Species Is Rewriting History of African Marine Life

In a remarkable breakthrough, an international team of scientists led by Egyptian researchers has unearthed a long-lost chapter in the story of marine evolution.

The discovery of a new species of extinct whale, called Tutcetus rayanensis, has sent ripples through the scientific community, revealing unprecedented insights into the evolution of aquatic life in Africa's ancient seas some 41 million years ago.

The Pharaoh Whale

We learn from a report shared by Phys.org that Tutcetus rayanensis, a small member of the basilosaurid family, offers a fresh glimpse into the past.

This family of fully aquatic whales represents a pivotal point in the transition from land-dwelling creatures to majestic marine beings. Think of it as when legs turned into flippers and tails transformed into paddles.

Imagine a whale the size of a small car, roughly 2.5 meters long and weighing around 187 kilograms. But its small size doesn't diminish its importance. In fact, its subadult stature provides an exceptional opportunity to understand the early life stages of these ancient marine giants.

Why the peculiar name, you ask? "Tut" pays homage to the legendary Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, while "cetus" - Greek for whale - captures its aquatic essence.

This nomenclature highlights its size and commemorates the uncovering of King Tutankhamun's tomb a century ago, coinciding with the imminent opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.

A Remarkable Discovery

The results of the team's research have been published in Communications Biology.

Mohammed Antar, the lead author from the Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center and the National Focal Point for Natural Heritage, commented that "Tutcetus greatly expands our understanding of the size diversity among basilosaurid whales and highlights significant differences among whales during the middle Eocene period."

Hesham Sallam, a Vertebrate Paleontology Professor at the American University in Cairo and leader of the project reflects on the significance of this find: "Tutcetus 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."

Its existence suggests that the Southern Hemisphere was a hub for these early aquatic pioneers. As the waters warmed and shallow breeding grounds emerged, the stage was set for the rise of basilosaurids like Tutcetus. These findings broaden our understanding of how whales conquered the oceans.

Sanaa El-Sayed, a Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan and a co-author of the study, explains the significance of Tutcetus's small size: "The relatively small size of Tutcetus (188 kg) is either primitive retention or could be linked to the global warming event known as the 'Late Lutetian Thermal Maximum (LLTM).' This groundbreaking discovery sheds light on the early evolution of whales and their transition to aquatic life."

Erik Seiffert, Chair and Professor of Integrative Anatomical Sciences at the University of Southern California, sums it up aptly: "The discovery of Tutcetus demonstrates that this region still has so much more to tell us about the fascinating story of whale evolution."

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