43 million years old fossil of ancient four-legged whale found in Egypt

Palaeontologists have uncovered the fossil of a four-legged whale in what used to be an ancient sea bed. The new species have been discovered among rocks in Egypt's Western Desert's Fayum Depression that was once flooded. The remains are estimated to be 43 million years old. According to 9News, after researching the fossil at Mansoura University's Vertebrate Palaeontology Centre, experts concluded that the new species, named Phiomicetus Anubis after the Egyptian 'god of death', was most likely a top predator.

The whale was 3 metres long and 600 kgs

According to a report published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, it was likely semi-aquatic and could migrate between land and sea. The biologists say that the species represents an essential milestone in early whale evolution. The whale was estimated to be three metres long with a body mass of 600 kilogrammes.

Hesham Sallam, the founder of Mansoura University's Vertebrate Paleontology Centre, posted on Twitter, "Our new paper documents a new ancient amphibious four-legged cetacean from Egypt, which elucidates a transitional phase in early whale evolution."

Crocodiles and small mammals, as well as the offspring of other whales, would have been among the creature's prey. Abdullah Gohar, a graduate student from Mansoura University, told Live Science that It was an effective, active predator. He believes it was the "god of death" for most of the creatures that lived around. 

The species was discovered in the Kuldana Formation in northern Pakistan and lived between 56 million and 41 million years ago, according to Daily Express. According to palaeontologists, it would have been a transitional stage between terrestrial and aquatic whales. The finding of the Phiomicetus Anubis adds to the knowledge of the evolution of whales.

Cetaceans adapted to living in water within 10 million years

Natural History Museum in London says that the whale's early relatives gradually moved to an aquatic existence, gaining traits that would allow them to thrive in this environment. According to the Daily Express, the museum claims that within 10 million years, cetaceans had acclimated entirely to live in water. The museum further said that while it may appear to be an extended period, it is quite short in evolutionary terms.

Image Credit: @heshamsallam/Twitter