Basilosaurus
By: Radiyah
What are they?
- Cetaceans
- Evolved from ancient land animals
- They moved into the water to find new food and/or to get away from predators
- "Basilosaurus" means "King Lizard"
- More than 55 feet long
When did it exist and how did they differentiate it from other cetaceans?
- Lived between 40 and 34 million years ago
- Recognizable by their elongated serpent-like body
- Basilosaurus had a variety of unusual features
- They didn't have a melon organ
- They were also probably not able to dive deep in the ocean
Fossil Evidence and Its Discovery
- First found in Louisiana
- People used to make furniture out of the fossils
- The fossils were finally examined by Doctor Richard Harlan, he believed that it was a reptilian creature
- Later, Sir Richard Owen examined further and found that the cetacean is a mammal
- Some cryptozoologists believe that there are other cetaceans like the basilosaurus living in the ocean today
Lifestyle, Diet and Habit
- Had a fully aquatic lifestyle
- Lived in the oceans of North America, Africa and southern Asia
- Fish an d squids
Reason For Its Extinction
- Seas became dramatically colder
- Basilosaurus was forced to dive deeper to hunt for food
- They couldn't handle the strong ocean currents
- Died off because of lack of adaption to the environmental changes
Sea Monsters - Basilosaurus