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The Egyptian Wadi El-Hitan or whale valley was once covered with water and now home to many ancient primitive whale fossils. ; | Credit: Mohamed Elshad/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Fast facts
Name: Wadi al-Hitan, which translates into a “whale valley” or “whale valley”
Location: Western Egyptian desert
Coordinates: 29.26755158061781, 30.02249562989221
Why is this incredible: The valley has hundreds of primitive whale skeletons, some of which have “legs”.
The whale valley is the Egyptian region Sahara desert It is decorated with archaic whale skeleton, some of them have legs and toes.
These skeletons and other marine fossils date back to the late Eocene era (55.8-33.9 million years ago), when the present Egypt was submerged under the ocean and whales have just developed into sea beings based on marine beings based on sea beings UNESCO;
“These fossils reflect one of the main stories of evolution: the emergence of a whale as an ocean mammal from a previous life as a land animal,” the UNESCO website reads.
Paleontologists have dug more than 400 ancient whale skeleton in the Valley of the Whale, since the early 20th century, since the early 20th century, since the early 20th century, According to UNESCO video; The first such discovery, in 1902 Basilauurus Isis (before Zeuglodon ISIS). This whale grew up to 60 feet (18 meters) long and probably dinner on smaller whales, By destroying skulls before themAccording to 2019 to study;
The evidence shows B. ISIS “Had a long muzzle and was armed with pointed front teeth and sharp cheeks teeth” Smaller vossMaritime Mammalian Expert at the Berlin Natural History Museum and the main 2019 The author of the study, previously said “Live Science”.
Related: Sahara’s eye: Mauritania’s giant rock dome that towers over the desert
Investigators found many B. ISIS Skeletons in the whale valley, but in 1989 Paleontologists made a great discovery: a team of the Michigan University and the Egyptian Museum of Geological B. ISIS Skeletons with hind limbs, feet and toes, under a 2023 Review article;
Modern whales lack hind limbs but still have pelvic bones showing that they once had them, according to Hawaiian University; This means that whale valley fossils are one of the oldest known archets, mammals from the Eocene group, which later evolved into modern whales and dolphins, according to 2023. In the review.
2005 Paleontologists revealed a stunningly preserved, almost full B. ISIS The skeleton that encouraged the UNESCO listed whale valley as a world heritage place. Since then, many more fossils have emerged, including the remains of ancient eocene turtles, bone fish, sharks, rays, crocodiles, sea cows and crustaceans, according to the review.
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These fossils were tested by time thanks to the region Dry climate from Pliocen (5.3 million – 2.6 million years ago), UNESCO reports.
The whale valley acts as an open -air museum with a visitor center and easy access to tourists, but this site is strictly protected. According to the review, researchers continue to find new fossils and learn more about the geology of the area.
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