Natural historian Richard Harlan described the fossil in a brief report, published in 1834, in which he named the animal Basilosaurus, or "king lizard." Basilosaurus (meaning "king lizard") is a genus of large, predatory, prehistoric archaeocete whale from the late Eocene, approximately 41.3 to 33.9 million years ago (mya).
In the skull, the inner and middle ear are enclosed by a dense The ear of basilosaurids is more derived than those in earlier Similarly sized thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and caudal vertebrae imply that it moved in an Basilosaurus would have been the top predator of its environment.Basilosaurus fossil record seems to end at about 35–33.9 mya.Below is the phylogenetic analysis on the placement of Harlan brought his assembled specimens (including fragments of jaw and teeth, humerus, and rib fragments) to the UK where he presented them to anatomist Wadi El Hitan, Arabic وادي الحيتان , "Valley of the Whales", is an Egyptian sandstone formation where many early-whale skeletons were discovered.Hugh Beadnell, head of the Geological Survey of Egypt 1896–1906,In 2016, a complete skeleton, the first-ever find for Prehistoric cetacean genus from the Late Eocene epoch
It was first discovered during the 19th century in the United States and was originally thought to have been some kind of prehistoric reptile. History at your fingertips
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First described in 1834, it was the first archaeocete and prehistoric whale known to science. Get kids back-to-school ready with Expedition: Learn!
In the early 19th century, when the fossil … Basilosaurus is a prehistoric whale which lived approximately 40 million to 34 million years ago during the Late Eocene Period. Their diversity was highest during the Eocene Epoch.
Basilosaurus Was Once Mistaken for a Prehistoric Reptile. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Basilosaurus ("king lizard") is a genus of early whale that lived 40 to 34 million years ago in the Late Eocene. The Basilosaurus is not actually a reptile despite its name, but a whale or cetacean. It has a long snake-like body that undulates through the seas of the ARK like the sea serpents of folklore and its head is like a crocodile, full of sharp teeth. While most Basilosaurus bones have been found in Alabama, where the creature is the state fossil, there is a slightly smaller species of Basilosaurus found in Egypt. The first fossil of B. cetoides was discovered in the United States and was initially believed to be some sort of reptile, hence the suffix -"saurus", but it was later found to be a marine mammal. The only known fossils dated to the Oligocene have been found in Peru and New Zealand. It shares physical similarities with Orcas and Baleen Whales such as the H…
Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The first fossils were discovered along the Gulf Coast of the United States, along with a few fossils in the eastern U.S., attributed to the type species B. cetoides.
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They were originally thought to be of a giant reptile, hence the suffix "-saurus", Ancient Greekfo…
The first Basilosaurus fossil to come to the attention of scientists was a single vertebra, or back-bone, found in Louisiana in 1832 and sent to the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia.
In 2010, paleontologists found fossils of hundreds of this species, B. isis, in Wadi al Hitan, a site 140 km southwest of Cairo. Basilosaurus, also called Zeuglodon, extinct genus of primitive whales of the family Basilosauridae (suborder Archaeoceti) found in Middle and Late Eocene rocks in North America and northern Africa (the Eocene Epoch lasted from 55.8 million to 33.9 million years ago).
Basilosaurus had primitive dentition and skull architecture; the rest of the slender, elongated skeleton was well …
Basilosaurids occurred worldwide during most of their history, and important fossils have been recovered in Egypt and the southern United States. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Alternative Title: Zeuglodon. The overall constellation of traits, including double-rooted teeth, unquestionably identified Basilosaurus as a mammal.
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