Saghacetus

Saghacetus Temporal range: Late Eocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Skull of Saghacetus osiris at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	†Basilosauridae
Subfamily:	†Dorudontinae
Genus:	†Saghacetus Gingerich 1992
Species
S. osiris (type)
Synonyms
Dorudon elliotsmithii D. sensitivus D. zitteli Zeuglodon elliotsmithii Z. sensitivius Z. sensitivus Z. zitteli

S. osiris (type)

Saghacetus is an extinct genus of basilosaurid early whale, fossils of which have been found in the Upper Eocene (middle Priabonian, 37.2 to 33.9 million years ago) Qasr el Sagha Formation, Egypt (29°42′N 30°48′E / 29.7°N 30.8°E / 29.7; 30.8, paleocoordinates 25°00′N 26°42′E / 25.0°N 26.7°E / 25.0; 26.7).

In 1879, German botanist Georg August Schweinfurth spent many years exploring Africa and eventually discovered the first archaeocete whale in Egypt. He visited Qasr el Sagha in 1884 and 1886 and missed the now famous "Zeuglodon Valley" with a few kilometres. German palaeontologist Wilhelm Barnim Dames described the material, including a well-preserved dentary which is the type specimen of Zeuglodon osiris.