Saghacetus

Sag-ha-see-tus.
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John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

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Name

Saghacetus.

Phonetic

Sag-ha-see-tus.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Cetacea,‭ ‬Archaeoceti,‭ ‬Basilosauridae,‭ ‬Dorudontinae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

S.‭ ‬osiris‭

Size

Uncertain due to lack of remains.

Known locations

Egypt‭ ‬-‭ ‬Qasr el Sagha Formation.

Time Period

Priabonian of the Eocene.

Fossil representation

Partial skull and jaws.

In Depth

       Though only known from a partial skull and jaws,‭ ‬Saghacetus is known to‭ ‬have been a dorudontine whale that was hunting in the waters of Egypt during the Eocene.‭ ‬Before being established as a distinct genus,‭ ‬fossils of Saghacetus had been described as species of Dorudon.‭ ‬The exact size of Saghacetus is uncertain,‭ ‬but the genus is thought to have been smaller than its relative Dorudon.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Marine Mammals‭ (‬Cetacean and Sirenia‭) ‬from the Eocene of Gebel Mokattam and Fayum,‭ ‬Egypt:‭ ‬Stratigraphy,‭ ‬Age,‭ ‬and Paleoenvironments.‭ ‬-‭ ‬University of Michigan Papers on Paleontology‭ ‬30:1-84.‭ ‬-‭ ‬P.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Gingerich‭ ‬-‭ ‬1992.

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