Scientists have made the “ground-breaking” discovery of a miniature whale species that lived in the sea that covered present-day Egypt about 41 million years ago.
Named Tutcetus rayanensis, the ancient creature was about 2.5 metres long and weighed about 187kg, making it the smallest known basilosaurid whale, according to researchers.
Despite its small size, Tutcetus rayanensis has provided significant insights into the history of early whales. And it is the oldest whale of that type to be recorded in Africa.
Researchers believe the basilosauridae, a group of extinct, fully aquatic whales, represent a crucial stage in whale evolution, as they transitioned from land to sea.
They developed fishlike characteristics, such as a streamlined body, a strong tail, flippers, and a tail fin, and had hind limbs visible enough to be recognised as legs, which were not used for walking but possibly for mating.
Hesham Sallam, a professor of vertebrate palaeontology at the American University in Cairo and founder of the Mansoura University Vertebrate Palaeontology Centre, was the leader of the project.
“During the middle Eocene, the warm, shallow marine environment of Egypt's Western Desert likely played a role in shaping Tutcetus's small size and characteristics.
“This discovery shifts our perception of whale distribution and migration by suggesting that (sub)tropical regions, like Egypt, served as pivotal zones for early whale evolution and diversification.”
Saqqara discovery in Egypt – in pictures
The new discovery was made in the middle Eocene rocks and it helps to illuminate early whale evolution in Africa.
“Tutcetus's emergence during the Late Lutetian Thermal Maximum (LLTM) underscores the link between climate change and evolution,” Mr Sallam added.
“The global warming during LLTM potentially influenced the transition to aquatic lifestyles in marine creatures.
“This finding accentuates the sensitivity of species to environmental changes and showcases the potential role of climate shifts in driving evolutionary adaptations.”
The whale’s name draws inspiration from both Egyptian history and the location where the specimen was found.
Tutcetus, combines “Tut” – referring to the famous Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun – and “cetus,” Greek for whale, highlighting the specimen’s small size and subadult status.
The name is also a nod to the discovery of the king’s tomb a century ago and coincides with the impending opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.
The species name, rayanensis, refers to the Wadi El Rayan protected area in Fayyum where the specimen was found.
The specimen researchers found consists of a skull, jaws, hyoid bone, and the atlas vertebra of a small-sized, subadult basilosaurid whale which was embedded in an intensively compacted limestone block.
“The relatively small size of Tutcetus is either primitive retention or could be linked to the global warming event known as the Late Lutetian Thermal Maximum,” study co-author Sanaa El Sayed, a doctoral student at University of Michigan and a member of Sallam Lab, said.
“This ground-breaking discovery sheds light on the early evolution of whales and their transition to aquatic life.”
Through detailed analyses of Tutcetus’s teeth and bones, and CAT scans, the team was able to reconstruct the growth and development pattern of this species.
“The discovery of Tutcetus fostered increased paleontological exploration in Egypt and beyond, focusing on rich fossil deposits,” Mr Sallam said.
“This finding encourages the study of older geological layers through techniques like stratigraphy, CT scanning, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
“These efforts may unveil older assemblages of early whale fossils, enriching our understanding of their evolutionary journey.”
The findings are published in the Communications Biology journal.
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203S%20Money%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20London%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Zhiznevsky%2C%20Eugene%20Dugaev%20and%20Andrei%20Dikouchine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%245.6%20million%20raised%20in%20total%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Brief scores:
Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf
Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)
Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17
Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)
Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
