6.1" Fossil Primitive Whale (Pappocetus) Jaw Section - Morocco

Fossil Primitive Whale (Pappocetus) Jaw Section - Morocco #225293

This is a 6.1" long jaw section with an incisor. It is from Pappocetus lugardi, a type of protocetid cetacean (early whale ancestor). These rare specimens come from the Middle Eocene-aged Aridal Formation, located in the Western Sahara near Gueran, Morocco. The tooth crown measures 1" long.

It comes with an acrylic display stand.

The teeth appears to be natural and not mounted to the jaw. The tooth was found with some fragmentation along one side, requiring crack repair and minor gap fill restoration. The jaw bone has also undergone some crack repair and gap fill restoration.

Pappocetus is a genus of extinct protocetid cetacean. Protocetids are considered to be one of the earliest examples of whale development during the time they were transitioning from land to sea. Fossil records indicate that they are Middle Eocene in age, existing after Pakicetus (earliest known whale) and prior to Zygorhiza (basilosaurid). These protocetids had become much more whale-like in appearance, featuring a more streamlined body with paddle-like forelegs, and hind-limbs that were greatly reduced in size. Their robust teeth and root structures suggest that they were aquatic carnivores, relying on smell and vision as their most important senses for hunting prey. It's unlikely that by this point they had developed echolocation systems used by modern whales.

About Basilosaurs