Makaracetus fossil map
Where fossils of Makaracetus 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 | 48.07–41.03 million years ago (Lutetian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Protocetidae |
| Named by | Gingerich et al. 2005 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Pakistan |
| Rock formations | Habib Rahi |
About Makaracetus
Makaracetus is an extinct protocetid whale, the remains of which were found in 2004 in Lutetian layers of the Domanda Formation in the Sulaiman Range of Balochistan, Pakistan (30.1°N 69.8°E / 30.1; 69.8, paleocoordinates 11.7°N 65.0°E / 11.7; 65.0).
Makaracetus is unique among archaeocetes in its feeding adaptations; its proboscis and the hypertrophied facial muscles. The generic epithet is a portmanteau of Makara, an elephant-headed sea monster from Hindu mythology, and cetus, Latin for "whale". The species epithet, bidens, is Latin for "two-teeth", in reference to the retention of only two incisors in each premaxilla. Makaracetus' unique features even lead Gingerich et al. 2005 to propose a new classification of Protocetidae based on the degree of their aquatic adaptation; with Makarcetus alone in the subfamily Makaracetinae.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Makaracetus (revision 1371354984), 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: Q11690294.
