On Thursday, renowned Egyptian palaeontologist Hesham Sallam announced the discovery of a new species of an extinct whale in Fayoum, Egypt. They called it Tutcetus rayanensis.
Sallam explained that the whale lived 41 million years ago in Fayum. It was found as part of the iconic Valley of the Whales, which was a part of sea that was dried million years ago.
The new whale belongs to Basilosaurids, which was a group of extinct whale ancestors that reflect the beginning of the whales and how they were completey aquatic creatures.
The name of the whale came as a bled of the word "tut" which is the first name of the acclaimed King Tutankhamun, and "Cetus" which stands for Whale in Greek.
The second part of the name, rayanensis, refers to the Valley of the Whales, where the whale was unearhted.
The skull, jaws, hyoid bone and the vertebra of the tiny basilosaurid whale were locked in a limestone block.
It is 2.5 metre long, and weights 187 kilograms.
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