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8.1" Fossil Primitive Whale (Basilosaur) Upper Jaw Section - Morocco
This is a stunning, 8.1" long upper jaw section (distal end) with incisors. The specimen is from a Basilosaur, a type of Archaeocete (primitive whale). It was collected from the Late Eocene-aged deposits of the Western Sahara near Dakhla, Morocco, and is commonly found associated with teeth of the shark Auriculatus, a Megalodon ancestor. My best research indicates the most likely species is the Basilosaur, Zygorhiza kochii, but I'm leaving a question mark on that because it's not definitive.
It comes with an acrylic display stand.
The jaw bone itself required crack repair and gap fill restoration in spots. It's very likely that the teeth have been mounted to the jaw, however, this clearly doesn't detract from the beauty of the specimen. All but one tooth required some crack repair, with the most significant gap fill through the crowns of the two proximal-most teeth.
It comes with an acrylic display stand.
The jaw bone itself required crack repair and gap fill restoration in spots. It's very likely that the teeth have been mounted to the jaw, however, this clearly doesn't detract from the beauty of the specimen. All but one tooth required some crack repair, with the most significant gap fill through the crowns of the two proximal-most teeth.
Basilosaurids could reach gigantic sizes, with some species reaching nearly 60 feet in length. They likely fed on fish, sharks, and sea birds with teeth optimized for catching and chewing prey. The front teeth in the jaw were pointed for catching and holding fish while they had very uniquely shaped, double rooted molars for chewing.
An artists rendering of a Basilosaur. Drawing by Pavel Riha.
GNU Free Documentation License
The Middle to Late Eocene formations of Southwestern Morocco contain a diverse fauna of Basilosaurs, including more than half a dozen described species of the genera Dorudon, Stromerius, Saghacetus, Eocetus, Platyosphys and Basilosaurus. Fossil teeth are nearly identical between Basilosaur species, so other than using tooth size and exact horizon the teeth were collected from (which is not known) to narrow down the species, there is no way of assigning an isolated tooth to a specific species. These teeth have often been labeled as the genus Zygorhiza in the past, but based on new research into the archaeocete faunas of Morocco, it does not appear this genus is found there.
Several papers on the Basilosaurs of southwestern Morocco can be found below.
New marine mammal faunas (Cetacea and Sirenia) and sea level change in the Samlat Formation, Upper Eocene, near Ad-Dakhla in southwestern Morocco
New fauna of archaeocete whales (Mammalia, Cetacea) from theBartonian middle Eocene of southern Morocco
Stomach contents of the archaeocete Basilosaurus isis: Apex predator in oceans of the late Eocene
A cast of a Basilosaurus jaw showing the varying tooth shapes in the jaw.
An artists rendering of a Basilosaur. Drawing by Pavel Riha.
GNU Free Documentation License
The Middle to Late Eocene formations of Southwestern Morocco contain a diverse fauna of Basilosaurs, including more than half a dozen described species of the genera Dorudon, Stromerius, Saghacetus, Eocetus, Platyosphys and Basilosaurus. Fossil teeth are nearly identical between Basilosaur species, so other than using tooth size and exact horizon the teeth were collected from (which is not known) to narrow down the species, there is no way of assigning an isolated tooth to a specific species. These teeth have often been labeled as the genus Zygorhiza in the past, but based on new research into the archaeocete faunas of Morocco, it does not appear this genus is found there.
Several papers on the Basilosaurs of southwestern Morocco can be found below.
New marine mammal faunas (Cetacea and Sirenia) and sea level change in the Samlat Formation, Upper Eocene, near Ad-Dakhla in southwestern Morocco
New fauna of archaeocete whales (Mammalia, Cetacea) from theBartonian middle Eocene of southern Morocco
Stomach contents of the archaeocete Basilosaurus isis: Apex predator in oceans of the late Eocene
A cast of a Basilosaurus jaw showing the varying tooth shapes in the jaw.
SPECIES
Unidentified Basilosaur
AGE
LOCATION
Dakhla, Western Sahara, Morocco
FORMATION
Samlat Formation
SIZE
Entire specimen: 8.1 x 3.3 x 2.5"
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#217826
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