Friday, December 30, 2005

Wadi el-Hitan

An article about the Eocene 406 whale fossils preserved in the Faiyum Depression at Wadi Hitan (Whale Valley), an area recently designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO: "The great expanse was then dotted with lush estuaries, home to Basilosaurus whales that gathered annually to give birth in the protection of a sea channel. As the last whales with functioning feet, these ancient mammals left a grand testament to their lineage in this watery retreat. At last count, 406 whale skeletons of various species have been discovered in the area appropriately named Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley)".
See the above article on the AAPG website for the full story.

Whale Valley is also featured as one of National Geographic's Top Ten News Photos of 2005:

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