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Basilosaurus
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Basilosaurus was a type of extinct cetacean
(this is the group containing whales, dolphins and porpoises).
It lived between about 40
and 34 million years ago, and is immediately recognizable by its elongated
serpent-like body which grew up to 60 feet (18 meters) in length.
Basilosaurus had a number of unusual features. These included
vestigial but greatly reduced hind limbs (probably not useful for
propelling the animal, but possibly used as a guide during mating),
highly elongated vertebrae (similar
to snakes), and a skeletal anatomy which suggests it may have
moved an eel-like fashion. Unlike modern whales and dolphins,
Basilosaurus did not have a melon organ (which modern cetaceans use for echolocation),
and was probably also incapable of deep diving.
Fossils of Basilosaurus were
first found in
Louisana,
but since then additional
fossils have been found not
only in the
United States,
but also in Egypt
and Pakistan.
The story of the discovery of Basilosaurus is an interesting one.
During the 19th century,
Fossils of the animal
were apparently very common in
Alabama and
Louisana,
so much so, that local people used the bones to make furniture!
However, some
fossils
were sent to the American Philosophical Society, and were eventually
examined by Doctor Richard Harlan. Harlan examined the specimens
and believed they were reptilian, and name the creature
"Basilosaurus" which means "King lizard" or "King reptile".
Later however, other material was examined by
Sir Richard Owen,
who determined that the animal was in fact a mammal.
Owen
suggested renaming the animal as Zeuglodon cetoides,
however as the first published name takes precedence, the name
Basilosaurus is still used today.
Today, Basilosaurus cetoides (the species whose
fossils are found in the
United States)
is the State Fossil of
Alabama and
Mississippi.
Although, the last known
fossil
of Basilosaurus dates back to around 34 million years ago,
some cryptozoologists (people who search for rumored or mythical animals, whose actual existence is uncertain)
have suggested that some alleged sightings of giant sea serpents and sea monsters
could in fact be sightings of living Basilosaurus or a modern living relative.
Basilosaurus was a cetacean that lived between 40 and 34 million years ago
Related Information & Resources
See Also
Basilosaurus Books
Here are some books from Amazon.com:
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By Marc Zabludoff
Benchmark Books (NY)
Library Binding (32 pages)
 | List Price: $29.93*
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By Frederic Augustus Lucas
Kessinger Publishing, LLC
Paperback (16 pages)
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Lowest New Price: $11.79*
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Click Here | Product Description:
This book is a facsimile reprint and may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. |
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By M 1805-1857 Tuomey
Nabu Press
Paperback (26 pages)
 | List Price: $15.75*
Lowest New Price: $10.35*
Usually ships in 2 to 3 weeks*
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Click Here | Product Description:
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. |
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By Richard Owen & Robert W. 1809-1866 Gibbes
Nabu Press
Paperback (24 pages)
 | List Price: $14.75*
Lowest New Price: $9.74*
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Click Here | Product Description:
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. |
|
By Robert W. Gibbes
Merrihew & Thompson, printers
Paperback
 | | Product Description:
This book, "On the fossil genus Basilosaurus, Harlan, Zeuglodon, Owen with a notice of specimens from the Eocene green sand of South Carolina. 1", by Robert W. Gibbes, is a replication of a book originally published before 1847. It has been restored by human beings, page by page, so that you may enjoy it in a form as close to the original as possible. This book was created using print-on-demand technology. Thank you for supporting classic literature. |
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By Carl Zimmer
Free Press
Released: 1999-09-08
Paperback (304 pages)
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Everybody Out of the Pond At the Water's Edge will change the way you think about your place in the world. The awesome journey of life's transformation from the first microbes 4 billion years ago to Homo sapiens today is an epic that we are only now beginning to grasp. Magnificent and bizarre, it is the story of how we got here, what we left behind, and what we brought with us. We all know about evolution, but it still seems absurd that our ancestors were fish. Darwin's idea of natural selection was the key to solving generation-to-generation evolution -- microevolution -- but it could only point us toward a complete explanation, still to come, of the engines of macroevolution, the transformation of body shapes across millions of years. Now, drawing on the latest fossil discoveries and breakthrough scientific analysis, Carl Zimmer reveals how macroevolution works. Escorting us along the trail of discovery up to the current dramatic research in paleontology, ecology, genetics, and embryology, Zimmer shows how scientists today are unveiling the secrets of life that biologists struggled with two centuries ago. In this book, you will find a dazzling, brash literary talent and a rigorous scientific sensibility gracefully brought together. Carl Zimmer provides a comprehensive, lucid, and authoritative answer to the mystery of how nature actually made itself. |
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By Nigel Marven
DK ADULT
Hardcover (168 pages)
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Following the hugely successful Walking with Dinosaurs and Walking with Prehistoric Beasts, DK dives into the past to swim with prehistoric reptiles and mammals in Chased by Sea Monsters. Exploring the underwater world where he "encounters" amazing creatures, Nigel Marven presents a unique record of a lost world never revealed before now. |
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By Carl Wieland
Master Books
Released: 2005-05-30
Hardcover (80 pages)
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From the predator Mosasaurus, called the ocean equivalent of T. rex, to the gigantic Archelon, the beasts who glided through the planet's oceans no doubt were the inspiration for ancient sightings by mariners who described fantastic encounters on the open ocean. Wieland's riveting text and easy descriptions are complemented by the beautiful full-color illustrations by acclaimed artist Darrell Wiskur. Readers will be amazed at these complex, huge beasts, some of which still live today. The author also provides a thoroughly biblical analysis of these “dragons of the sea” within the framework of the literal history outlined in Genesis. Dragons of the Deep is totally evolution-free, explaining the facts about fossils and much more, from a biblical perspective. The exciting evidence about sea monsters repeatedly confirms how most fossils were rapidly buried, caused by the upheavals that occurred during the Genesis flood. The facts presented in this book will help build biblically based scientific foundations in a young person, providing training to refute the atheistic, evolutionary world view that is encountered throughout life. |
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Book on Demand Pod
Unknown Binding
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By Frederic A Lucas
Govt. pr. off
Unknown Binding
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