Dorudon

Dorudon serratus

Resurrected on:

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Genus information

Dorudon is a genus of archaic whale, or ancient whale, that lived during the Eocene epoch of North America and Africa. It belonged to the family of basilosaurs, containing the first fully aquatic cetaceans, and was closely related to dorudontines, a group of smaller basilosaurs. Dorudon could grow up to 5 meters in length and weighted about 1.800 kg! Unlike some modern whales, they lack a melon organ which is used for echolocation. Also, their nostrils were halfway up their snout instead on top of their heads.

Family:

Distribution:

Epoch:

Basilosauridae

North America and Africa

Eocene

Species information

The genus of Dorudon contains two species of which D. serratus lived in North America during the Eocene epoch. When their fossils were discovered, it was believed that Dorudon were juveniles of Basilosaurus, a very large member of the Basilosauridae family. After discovering juvenile Dorudon fossils, they got their own genus. Dorudon probably hunted in small pods and fed on fish and molluscs. They inhabited warm oceans and shorelines, like the Tethys Ocean, which is nowadays the region around Egypt and India.

Species:

Paleontologist:

Distribution:

Epoch:

Dorudon serratus

Gibbes, 1845

North America

Eocene

Length:

Height:

Weight:

5.0 m

n/a

1.800 kg

Reference:

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