Dorudon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids DorudonTemporal range: late Eocene
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| Dorudon atrox, Senckenberg Museum | |
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Basilosauridae
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Dorudon
Gibbes, 1845
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Dorudon ("spear-tooth") was an ancient type of whale. It lived about 41 to 33 million years ago, during a time called the Eocene epoch. Dorudon shared its ocean home with another large ancient whale known as Basilosaurus.
Contents
Meet Dorudon: An Ancient Whale
Dorudon was a medium-sized ancient whale. It grew to be about five meters (16 feet) long. This is roughly the length of a small school bus! Scientists believe Dorudon was a meat-eater. It likely hunted smaller fish and molluscs, which are creatures like snails or clams.
Where Did Dorudon Live?
Dorudon lived in warm, shallow seas all around the world. These ancient oceans were very different from today's seas. Fossils of Dorudon have been found in many places. These include areas that were once part of the ancient Tethys Sea.
Today, we find Dorudon fossils in places like Western Sahara, Egypt, Pakistan, the United States, and New Zealand. Most of these amazing fossil discoveries have been made in Egypt. These finds help scientists learn more about Earth's past.
Dorudon's Place in History
Dorudon belongs to a group of ancient whales called Archaeoceti. These were some of the earliest whales. They lived before modern whales, like the ones we see today. Dorudon is also part of the Basilosauridae family. This family includes other ancient whales, like its larger relative, Basilosaurus. Studying Dorudon helps us understand how whales evolved over millions of years.
Images for kids
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Dorsal and right lateral views of reconstructed skeleton of Dorudon atrox
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Size of Dorudon (upper left) compared to closely related basilosaurids and a human
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Virtually complete Dorudon atrox skeleton excavated at Wadi El Hitan, displayed at the University of Michigan museum
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Restoration
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Dorudon hind limbs, an example of vestigial organs, at Smithsonian Natural History Museum, Washington, DC
See also
In Spanish: Dorudon para niños
