8.7" Fossil Primitive Whale (Basilosaur) Jaw Section - Morocco

This is a 8.7" long jaw section of a Basilosaur, a type of Archaeocete (primitive whale). It came from the Late Eocene aged deposits in the Western Sahara near Dakhla, Morocco and are 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.

There are several repaired cracks and some minor gap filling, but no major restoration.

Comes with a display stand.



Basilosaurids could reach gigantic sizes with some species reaching nearly 60 feet in length. It is believed that they fed exclusively on fish and sharks, and had a mouth full of teeth optimized for catching and chewing this 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.