Pappocetus Lugardi Collection

Pappocetus Lugardi is the earliest Transition form of prehistoric whale which lived approximately 40 million to 34 million years ago during the Mid Eocene Period.

Pappocetus was a protocetid. The protocetids represent one of the earliest forms of whale development when they were transitioning from the land to the sea. The protocetids had large fore-limbs and hindlimbs that could support the body on land, and they were most likely amphibious – capable of living on land and in the sea. Certain characteristics show that the protocetids were adapting to aquatic life including lack of fusion of the pelvic vertebrae (allowing tail movement) and nostrils that have moved halfway up their snout. Pappocetus is in the Georgiacetinae sub-family which makes it the direct ancestor to the Basilosaurus, a well knows extinct primitive whale from the Eocene.