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Trade sanctions announced after Mexico fails to protect near extinct porpoise

The international body behind the treaty that protects endangered plants and animals from the threats...

WDC exposes failure of Government scheme to protect whales and dolphins from net deaths

Following our investigations, we have revealed that a UK Government scheme to protect whales and...

First cases of bird flu in dolphins discovered in the UK

The UK Government has announced that two dolphins and a harbour porpoise have died from...
Kiska the orca

Kiska the ‘world’s loneliest whale’ dies at Canadian theme park

Kiska, dubbed the loneliest whale in the world, has died at Marineland, a zoo and...

Fossil discovery suggests ancient whale hunted other whales

New findings published this week suggest an ancient whale that lived millions of years ago may have included the young of another whale species as prey.

Discovered in 2010 the whale, known as Basilosaurus isis, lived during the late Euocene period around 35 million years ago. Up to 18 metres in length, it had a long snout and sharp teeth and was the largest whale in existence at the time. Fossil remains of the whale were discovered in Egypt’s Wadi Al-Hitan, which translates from Arabic as Whale Valley. The area is famous for the wide array of whale fossils found there. During the Euocene period the now dry valley was part of a shallow sea inhabited by a rich variety of marine life.

Along with the remains of various sharks and fish found near the fossils were the bones of a smaller species of ancient whale called Dorudon atrox. As well as some adults, many of the Dorudon fossils were from younger whales suggesting the area may have been used as a calving area. Skulls of some of these whales showed signs of bite marks indicating the younger ones were a likely prey for Basilosaurus isis

In modern whales, some types of orcas and false killer whales are known to prey on other whale and dolphin species.

For the full report:
Voss M, Antar MSM, Zalmout IS, Gingerich PD (2019)
Stomach contents of the archaeocete Basilosaurus isis: Apex predator in oceans of the late Eocene.
PLoS ONE 14(1): e0209021. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209021

About George Berry

George is a member of WDC's Communications team and website coordinator.