Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Read our paper here: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
A new protocetid whale offers clues to biogeography and feeding ecology in early cetacean evolution | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Over about 10 million years, the ancestors of whales transformed from herbivorous,
deer-like, terrestrial mammals into carnivorous and fully aquatic cetaceans. Protocetids
are Eocene whales that repre...
royalsocietypublishing.org
August 25, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Read our paper here: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Phiomicetus anubis turns 4 today! So proud of the little guy 🥹P. anubis is a 42-43 million year old "walking whale" from the Fayum desert of Egypt. #whaleontology 🧪🦖
August 25, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Phiomicetus anubis turns 4 today! So proud of the little guy 🥹P. anubis is a 42-43 million year old "walking whale" from the Fayum desert of Egypt. #whaleontology 🧪🦖
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
#whalewednesday Endocranial anatomy of the OG protocetid whale, Protocetus atavus - protocetids had surprisingly large brains, indicating brain expansion occurred early in cetacean evolution; also retained well-developed olfactory bulbs (and smell). 🐬🧪🦖Read here: academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
July 2, 2025 at 5:37 PM
#whalewednesday Endocranial anatomy of the OG protocetid whale, Protocetus atavus - protocetids had surprisingly large brains, indicating brain expansion occurred early in cetacean evolution; also retained well-developed olfactory bulbs (and smell). 🐬🧪🦖Read here: academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
It was for me a first opportunity to work with @muvp-eg.bsky.social , i.e., @hesham-sallam.bsky.social and @gohar.bsky.social , which was a blast! Thank you as well to @gsferreira.bsky.social and all other co-authors not on Bluesky.
Gabriel S. Ferreira (he/his) (@gsferreira.bsky.social)
🇧🇷 in 🇩🇪, 🐢 virtual paleo, functional morph -researcher at Senckenberg HEP | sci. coordinator of 3D Imaging Lab of the Uni. Tübingen
gabrielsferreira.com
gsferreira.bsky.social
July 2, 2025 at 2:17 PM
It was for me a first opportunity to work with @muvp-eg.bsky.social , i.e., @hesham-sallam.bsky.social and @gohar.bsky.social , which was a blast! Thank you as well to @gsferreira.bsky.social and all other co-authors not on Bluesky.
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
…and the accompanying models on MorphoMuseuM here:
morphomuseum.com/articles/vie...
morphomuseum.com/articles/vie...
MorphoMuseuM - Articles
morphomuseum.com
July 2, 2025 at 2:17 PM
…and the accompanying models on MorphoMuseuM here:
morphomuseum.com/articles/vie...
morphomuseum.com/articles/vie...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
You can find the paper here: academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
July 2, 2025 at 2:17 PM
You can find the paper here: academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Regarding the sense of smell, we basically found that no part of the olfactory apparatus was significantly reduced, indicating that these amphibious cetaceans most likely had a good nose (likely much better than ours), and that the reduction of this sense most likely came later in their evolution.
patrick star from spongebob squarepants smells real good up hea
ALT: patrick star from spongebob squarepants smells real good up hea
media.tenor.com
July 2, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Regarding the sense of smell, we basically found that no part of the olfactory apparatus was significantly reduced, indicating that these amphibious cetaceans most likely had a good nose (likely much better than ours), and that the reduction of this sense most likely came later in their evolution.
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Comparing the relative volume of the brain endocast, we found that this early whale was quite brainy, which is a surprise, as the first cetaceans with big brains were so far understood to be the fully aquatic basilosaurids.
July 2, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Comparing the relative volume of the brain endocast, we found that this early whale was quite brainy, which is a surprise, as the first cetaceans with big brains were so far understood to be the fully aquatic basilosaurids.
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
We addressed two aspects of cetacean evolution: their acquisition of a relatively big brain and the evolution of their sense of smell. As other mammals secondarily adapted to the aquatic environment, cetaceans have been assumed to reduce their sense of smell (which is air-born in this group).
a cartoon of homer simpson sniffing something with his mouth open
ALT: a cartoon of homer simpson sniffing something with his mouth open
media.tenor.com
July 2, 2025 at 2:13 PM
We addressed two aspects of cetacean evolution: their acquisition of a relatively big brain and the evolution of their sense of smell. As other mammals secondarily adapted to the aquatic environment, cetaceans have been assumed to reduce their sense of smell (which is air-born in this group).
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
We ct-scanned the skull of Protocetus atavus, an amphibious cetacean coming from the Mokattam Formation in Egypt. The inner anatomy of the skull was reconstructed, and we were able to reconstruct the brain imprint (endocast) as well as the different components of the nasal cavity.
July 2, 2025 at 2:12 PM
We ct-scanned the skull of Protocetus atavus, an amphibious cetacean coming from the Mokattam Formation in Egypt. The inner anatomy of the skull was reconstructed, and we were able to reconstruct the brain imprint (endocast) as well as the different components of the nasal cavity.
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Fossil brain 🧠🧟 of a 45-million-year-old cetacean! We are proud to publish @journal-evo.bsky.social l the result of Elena Berger’s Bachelor’s thesis @smnstuttgart.bsky.social. Thread 👇
July 2, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Fossil brain 🧠🧟 of a 45-million-year-old cetacean! We are proud to publish @journal-evo.bsky.social l the result of Elena Berger’s Bachelor’s thesis @smnstuttgart.bsky.social. Thread 👇
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Named after the cat-headed goddess Bastet, Bastetodon is symbolically linked to Sekhmetops, inspired by the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet. Mythology meets science in this incredible find! #SallamLab #MUVP
February 17, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Named after the cat-headed goddess Bastet, Bastetodon is symbolically linked to Sekhmetops, inspired by the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet. Mythology meets science in this incredible find! #SallamLab #MUVP
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Our new discovery, led by @shorouqalashqar.bsky.social , has unveiled a new 30-million-year-old species of apex predator, #Bastetodon, in Egypt’s Fayum Desert! Check out the study in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. @matt-borths.bsky.social @erikseiffert.bsky.social #SallamLab #MUVP
February 17, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Our new discovery, led by @shorouqalashqar.bsky.social , has unveiled a new 30-million-year-old species of apex predator, #Bastetodon, in Egypt’s Fayum Desert! Check out the study in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. @matt-borths.bsky.social @erikseiffert.bsky.social #SallamLab #MUVP
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Thank you @gohar.bsky.social for a very nice invited talk on whale evolution for our group in Oslo yesterday!🐳🐋🐬
February 5, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Thank you @gohar.bsky.social for a very nice invited talk on whale evolution for our group in Oslo yesterday!🐳🐋🐬
As usual, one of the best reconstructions of a protocetid early whale!
#FossilFriday 4 years after doing the rough sketch for it, I finally finished my illustration of Protocetus. My reconstruction looks very different from most, and the reason is simple: almost every illustration of this animal is wrong. #paleoart #paleontology #whale
🧵(1)
🧵(1)
December 28, 2024 at 10:02 PM
As usual, one of the best reconstructions of a protocetid early whale!
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Oh groovy, our paper on the hindlimb biomechanics of the Triassic dinosauriform Lagosuchus is out! A quick thread for now. We uCT-scanned most of the existing skeletal material for this important outgroup to Dinosauria. We sorted through the elements and chose the best ones to make a 3D model from.
December 4, 2024 at 8:07 PM
Oh groovy, our paper on the hindlimb biomechanics of the Triassic dinosauriform Lagosuchus is out! A quick thread for now. We uCT-scanned most of the existing skeletal material for this important outgroup to Dinosauria. We sorted through the elements and chose the best ones to make a 3D model from.
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Dave traveled ✈️ to Egypt to interview Dr. Hesham Sallam, Egypt's first paleontologist and founder of the country's first Vertebrate Paleontology Center.
NEW! Episode #80: Walking 🦶 Egyptian Whales 🐋 from the Sahara with Dr. Hesham Sallam.
🔊 www.paleonerds.com/podcast/heshamsallam
NEW! Episode #80: Walking 🦶 Egyptian Whales 🐋 from the Sahara with Dr. Hesham Sallam.
🔊 www.paleonerds.com/podcast/heshamsallam
November 28, 2024 at 5:27 PM
Dave traveled ✈️ to Egypt to interview Dr. Hesham Sallam, Egypt's first paleontologist and founder of the country's first Vertebrate Paleontology Center.
NEW! Episode #80: Walking 🦶 Egyptian Whales 🐋 from the Sahara with Dr. Hesham Sallam.
🔊 www.paleonerds.com/podcast/heshamsallam
NEW! Episode #80: Walking 🦶 Egyptian Whales 🐋 from the Sahara with Dr. Hesham Sallam.
🔊 www.paleonerds.com/podcast/heshamsallam
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
#FossilFriday with its bizarre skull, the protocetid whale Makaracetus has become my beloved nemesis. It’s extremely hard to reconstruct, but @gohar.bsky.social recently told me that my illustration of it is the most accurate he’s seen, so I must be on the right track. #paleoart #sciart #whale
November 22, 2024 at 9:00 PM
#FossilFriday with its bizarre skull, the protocetid whale Makaracetus has become my beloved nemesis. It’s extremely hard to reconstruct, but @gohar.bsky.social recently told me that my illustration of it is the most accurate he’s seen, so I must be on the right track. #paleoart #sciart #whale
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
I was searching for information about odontolite, which I did not find, but this fascinating article about early whales popped up instead. And now I need you all to learn about Tutcetus rayanensis and the Valley of the Whales. 🐳 (gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2023/09/25/s...
www.nytimes.com/2023/09/25/s...
An Ancient Whale Named for King Tut, but Moby-Dinky in Size
Paleontologists in Egypt announced the discovery of Tutcetus rayanensis, an eight-foot-long leviathan that lived 41 million years ago.
www.nytimes.com
July 10, 2024 at 1:38 AM
I was searching for information about odontolite, which I did not find, but this fascinating article about early whales popped up instead. And now I need you all to learn about Tutcetus rayanensis and the Valley of the Whales. 🐳 (gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2023/09/25/s...
www.nytimes.com/2023/09/25/s...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Described only a week after the most massive basilosaurid, Tutcetus is not only one of the very smallest, with an estimated body length of only about 2.5m, but one of the earliest, coexisting with protocetes in the shallow coasts of Egypt during the early middle Eocene.
January 22, 2024 at 4:26 AM
Described only a week after the most massive basilosaurid, Tutcetus is not only one of the very smallest, with an estimated body length of only about 2.5m, but one of the earliest, coexisting with protocetes in the shallow coasts of Egypt during the early middle Eocene.
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
January 22, 2024 at 4:18 AM
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
2023 in review: this year's advances in marine mammal paleontology! Here is my 11th annual [comprehensive] roundup of every peer-reviewed article that came out in our field this year. Check it out here: coastalpaleo.blogspot.com/2023/12/2023...
December 31, 2023 at 3:26 PM
2023 in review: this year's advances in marine mammal paleontology! Here is my 11th annual [comprehensive] roundup of every peer-reviewed article that came out in our field this year. Check it out here: coastalpaleo.blogspot.com/2023/12/2023...
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
More work from 2023: Tutcetus on its own, a T. rex sketch, and two versions of the Van Meter Visitor.
January 1, 2024 at 10:49 PM
More work from 2023: Tutcetus on its own, a T. rex sketch, and two versions of the Van Meter Visitor.
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
A diminutive new basilosaurid whale reveals the trajectory of the cetacean life histories during the Eocene; by Mohammed Antar, Abdullah Gohar, Heba El-Desouky, Erik Seiffert, Sanaa El-Sayed, Alexander Claxton, Hesham Sallam
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04986-w
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04986-w
August 10, 2023 at 3:32 PM
A diminutive new basilosaurid whale reveals the trajectory of the cetacean life histories during the Eocene; by Mohammed Antar, Abdullah Gohar, Heba El-Desouky, Erik Seiffert, Sanaa El-Sayed, Alexander Claxton, Hesham Sallam
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04986-w
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04986-w
Reposted by Abdullah Gohar
Important whale news! A new research paper reports a new species of basilosaurid. This whale is believed to be the smallest known basilosaurid and has been named Tutcetus rayanensis after the ancient Egyptian Pharoah, Tutankhamun. Paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04986-w
August 10, 2023 at 3:50 PM
Important whale news! A new research paper reports a new species of basilosaurid. This whale is believed to be the smallest known basilosaurid and has been named Tutcetus rayanensis after the ancient Egyptian Pharoah, Tutankhamun. Paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04986-w