Eocetus fossil map
Where fossils of Eocetus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 45 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 45 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 41.03–37.71 million years ago (Bartonian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Protocetidae |
| Named by | Fraas 1904 |
| Fossil records | 10 occurrences at 4 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Western Sahara, Pakistan, Egypt |
| Rock formations | Aridal, Drazinda, Giushi |
About Eocetus
Eocetus (from Ancient Greek ἠώς (ēṓs), meaning "dawn", and Latin cetus, meaning "whale", and thus, "dawn whale") is an extinct protocetid early whale known from the early-late Eocene (Bartonian, 40.4 to 37.2 million years ago) Giushi Formation in Gebel Mokattam, (30.0°N 31.3°E / 30.0; 31.3, paleocoordinates 24.9°N 26.8°E / 24.9; 26.8) outside Cairo, Egypt. Fossil remains have also been discovered in the Aridal Formation of the Sahara Desert in southwestern Morocco.
The type specimen was first named by Fraas as Mesocetus schweinfurthi. However, the name Mesocetus was previously used causing a change to the species name to Eocetus schweinfurthi. Since the genus was first described in the early 20th century, several other specimens, mostly isolated vertebrae, have been attributed to Eocetus, but the taxonomic status of these widely distributed specimens remain disputed.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Eocetus (revision 1334643627), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q15222718.
