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2.1" Eocene Archaeocete (Basilosaur) Tooth - Primitive Whale
This
is a 2.15" long tooth from a Basilosaurid, a type of Archaeocete (primitive whale). These rare teeth come 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.
These teeth are nearly always found fractured and require repair work. There is a crack repair in the root and a crack repair with small gap fill in the lower part of the crown.
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.
These teeth are nearly always found fractured and require repair work. There is a crack repair in the root and a crack repair with small gap fill in the lower part of the crown.
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.
SPECIES
Unidentified Basilosaur
AGE
LOCATION
Dakhla, Western Sahara, Morocco
SIZE
2.1" long
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#36138
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