3.7" Basilosaurus Vertebrae Fossil Prehistoric Whale 34 Mil Yrs Old Late Eocene COA
Location: Dakhla, Western Sahara, South Morocco
Weight: 10.4 Ounces
Dimensions: 3.7 Inches Long, 2.6 Inches Wide, 2.3 Inches Thick (Matrix)
Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
The item picture is the one you will receive.
Name: Basilosaurus (King Lizard).
Diet: Piscivore/Carnivore.
Size: Estimated between 50 Feet to 70 feet
Known locations: North Africa
Time period: Late Eocene Period, 40 to 34 Million Years Ago
Basilosaurus emerged as one of the Late Eocene's most formidable marine inhabitants, thriving approximately 40 to 34 million years ago. Early 19th-century paleontologists initially misclassified this cetacean as a reptile, bestowing upon it the nomenclature "king lizard"—a nomenclatural artifact that persists today. This apex predator achieved remarkable proportions, extending to 70 feet in length and displacing approximately 15 tons of water. Its specialized dentition and powerful cranial musculature generated bite pressures approaching 2,300 pounds, enabling efficient predation upon large fish, smaller cetaceans, and other substantial marine fauna. This vertebral specimen exemplifies the anatomical sophistication of Eocene cetacean evolution and offers collectors a direct window into the sophisticated adaptations that defined this extinct lineage's ecological dominance.
