Scientists in Egypt say they have discovered the 43 million-year-old remains of a previously unknown whale that had four legs — calling the species a possible missing link of extinct mammals that were perhaps the first to transition from land to ocean.
The fossil of the strange amphibious creature was unearthed from rocks in the Faiyum Oasis located in the Western Desert in Egypt, a region that was fully covered by water in prehistoric times, according to Reuters.
Researchers say the species — now classified as Phiomicetus anubis — lived during the Eocene period and belonged to a group of extinct semiaquatic whales called Protocetidae, which over time evolved into the behemoth ocean animals of the modern world.
Its scientific name is a reference to the ancient jackal-headed Egyptian god associated with the afterlife, Reuters reported.
“Phiomicetus anubis is a key new whale species, and a critical discovery for Egyptian and African paleontology,” said Abdullah Gohar of MUVP, lead author of a paper on the discovery published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
The prehistoric partial skeleton is being studied by the Mansoura University Vertebrate Palaeontology Centre, according to Reuters.
“All known protocetid whales had well-developed, non-reduced fore and hind limbs that could bear the animals’ weight outside of water, albeit probably awkwardly, as these animals were probably quite heavy,” Robert W. Boessenecker, co-author of the study, told HuffPost. “Think of seals and sea lions, for example.”
Scientists say they believe the species was a vicious predator.
“We discovered how fierce and deadly its powerful jaws are capable of tearing a wide range of prey ... this whale was a god of death to most of the animals that lived in its area,” said Abdullah Gohar, lead author of the paper, according to Insider.
The beast likely weighed about 1,300 pounds and measured about 10 feet in length, which is a lot smaller than its modern counterparts.
Despite the discovery, however, researchers say much about early whale evolution remains shrouded in mystery.
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