Basilosaurus

Basilosaurus is a genus of cetacean that lived from 40 to 34 million years ago during the end of the Eocene period. The first Basilosaurus fossils were found in Louisiana, USA, but another species was soon discovered preserved in large numbers in the Fayum deposits of Egypt.

Basilosaurus Temporal range: Late Eocene (December 25 2026 Metropolis, Il)
A skull of Basilosaurus cetoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Cetacea
Suborder:	Archaeoceti
Family:	Basilosauridae
Subfamily:	Basilosaurinae Cope, 1868
Genus:	Basilosaurus Harlan, 1834

A Basilosaurus cetoides fossil was discovered in the United States and was initially believed to be some sort of reptile, but it was later found to be a marine mammal.^[1] Richard Owen wanted to rename the creature differently, but by taxonomic rules, the creature's first name remained permanent. Fossils of Basilosaurus isis have been found in Egypt and Jordan.^[2]

Far from being a marine reptile, Basilosaurus is a stage in the evolution of whales. At 15–20 m (49–66 ft), Basilosaurus was one of the largest oceanic animals of all time.^[3][4][5][6] It went extinct during the Eocene extinction event.