36 million-year-old basilosaurus discovered in Peru

Paleontologists from a university in Peru presented Thursday a fossil of Basilosaurus, a large carnivorous whale that lived in the oceans 36 million years ago.

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The fossil, a complete skull, was discovered at the end of 2021 in the Okucaji Desert, 350 kilometers south of Lima.

“This is a very important find, given that no similar specimen has been discovered anywhere in the world,” explains Mario Urbina, team leader for paleontologists from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.

France Press agency

Its discoverers called it the “Okukage Predator”, a whale with a length of 17 meters, gigantic and powerful jaws, and feeds on tuna, sharks and a large amount of sardines.

France Press agency

Paleontologist Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi said Basilosaurus, “one of the greatest predators of its time,” was probably at the top of the food chain. “It is an extraordinary find due to its good state of preservation,” he explains.