Dorudon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Extinct (fossil)
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Dorudon was a genus of ancient cetacean that lived alongside Basilosaurus 40 to 36 million years ago, in the Eocene. They were about 5 metres long and were most likely carnivorous, feeding on small fish and molloscs. Dorudontids lived in warm seas around the world, fossils have been found in North America as well as in Egypt.
Dorudontids were originally believed to be baby Basilosaurs as they were so similar, but have since been shown to be a different species with the discovery of Dorudon babies. Although they look very much like modern whales, basilosaurids and dorudontids lacked the 'melon organ' that allows their descendants to sing and use ultrasound as effectively as modern whales. Like other basilosaurids, their nostrils were midway from the snout to the top of the head.
