Fierce new four-legged whale discovered in southern Egypt

08/27/2021 7:31 PM

• Clarín.com

• International

Updated 08/27/2021 7:31 PM

Egyptian archaeologists discovered the fossil of a new species of

amphibian whale

that roamed the waters 43 million years ago in

Fayoum, south of Cairo

, a team member said.

"This is an unknown species" to scientists, said paleontology professor

Hicham Salam

, a member of the team that discovered the fossil.

"This is the first time that an

Arab

, and particularly Egyptian, research team has reported such a discovery," he added in remarks on television Thursday night.

Abdullah Gohar, from El Mansoura University, with part of a fossil found in the Fayoum Depression.

Photo: REUTERS

The new species of whale measured more than three meters and weighed about 600 kilos, and has been baptized

"Fioumicetus anubis"

, a name derived from the place where it was discovered, Fayum, and from the

god Anubis

, one of the oldest Egyptian deities.

In a statement published on Wednesday, the Environment Ministry said that this species of whale "was

the most ferocious and the oldest in Africa

.

"

Abdullah Gohar, one of the leaders of the team that discovered Egypt's unique whale specimen, brushes off the fossilized remains of the animal.

Photo: Reuter

"The whale had the ability to both

walk on land and swim in the sea

" and was "a great predator with powerful jaws," added the ministry, which explains that this discovery is a witness to the evolution of that species.

In the

Fayum region

, which millions of years ago was

covered by waters

, is the so-called

Valley of the Whales

, which contains "priceless" fossil remains, according to UNESCO.