Masracetus fossil map
Where fossils of Masracetus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 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 30 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 | 37.71–33.9 million years ago (Priabonian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Basilosauridae |
| Named by | Gingerich 2007 |
| Fossil records | 12 occurrences at 6 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Egypt, Jordan |
| Rock formations | txn:42936, Gehannam, Birket Qarun, Daba'a, Wadi Esh-Shallala |
About Masracetus
Masracetus (from Arabic Masr, "Egypt", and Greek ketos, "whale") is an extinct genus of basilosaurid ancient whale known from the Late Eocene (Priabonian, 37.2 to 33.9 million years ago) of Egypt.
Masracetus was briefly described in an addendum by Gingerich 2007 and is known from just an assemblage of vertebrae and a poorly reconstructed skull from 1908. The lumbar vertebrae are large but relatively short (anteroposteriorly) compared to those of other archaeocetes; the diameter is almost the same as for Basilosaurus isis but the length is less than half of the latter. Masracetus is larger than Cynthiacetus, but it is suggested that the former might be synonymized as a junior synonym with the latter.
The species name honours Richard Markgraf, palaeontologist Ernst Stromer's fossil collector, who collected the type specimen in 1905.
Masracetus' type locality is the Birket Qarun Formation in Dimê (29.5°N 30.7°E / 29.5; 30.7, paleocoordinates 24.9°N 26.6°E / 24.9; 26.6) north of lake Birket Qarun, but specimens have also been found in the Qattara Depression and Fayum.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Masracetus (revision 1317629383), 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: Q6005481.
