paleo-environments of the exposed eocene sediments between wadi el-hitan and east siwa in the egyptian western desert based on their faunal content especially the vertebrates

Basilosaurus, Harlan 1834, is an unusual archaic whale with aserpentine body. It lived during the middle and late ages of the Eoceneepoch before the appearance of the modem toothed and bale en whales.Threespecies are known: Bidrazindai Gingerich et al. 1997, from the DrazindaFormation of Pakistan (South Asia: 38.5 Ma); B. isis (Andrews) 1904, fromthe Gehannam and Birket Qarun formations of Egypt (North Africa: 37Ma); and B. cetoides (Owen) 1839, from the Moodys Branch and YazooClay formations of southeastern North America (37-34 Ma). The firstspecies is known from a single vertebra, the second is known from skullsand partial skeletons that have never been fully described, and the third isknown from several partial skeletons assembled into a composite that isincomplete.In the present study, field exploration recovered a complete skeletonof B. isis (Andrews) from Wadi El-Hitan in western Fayum Province, Egypt.It was used principally for a full description of its unusual body form and afunctional interpretation of its swimming. The present recovery of acomplete specimen will also enhance the publicity of both whale evolutionin general and the unique richness and importance of the fossil record ofearly whales from Egypt.