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A member of the research team stated that Egyptian scientists discovered the fossil of an amphibious species of whale that dates back to 43 million years.
Hesham Sallam, an Egyptian Palaeontologist, stated that "this is a species which was not known" before.
He said that this was the first time an Arab research team, particularly an Egyptian, has been tasked with documenting such a discovery.
The fossil was discovered in Egypt's Fayum region. This area was once under water and is now home to Whale Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The new species was over three meters (10 feet) in length and weighed 600 kilograms (roughly 1,320 pounds). It has been named Phiomicetus Anubis.
The environment ministry of Egypt stated Wednesday in a statement that the whale species was "the most ferocious, ancient and endangered in Africa".
It stated that "the whale was able to both walk on land and swim in water" and added that this discovery was proof of the evolution of whales into marine mammals.
The ministry stated that anatomical studies of the fossil showed that the new species of whale was completely unique from all other species.
It was a large predator with powerful jaws that allowed it "control the environment where it lived".
2021 AFP
