Dorudon

### Attributes

Related to *Basilosaurus*; streamlined body; small dorsal fin; large paddles; sharp teeth

## Biography

### Discovered

1845

***Dorudon*** (name meaning "*Spear Tooth*") is a genus of basilosaurid whale that originated during the Eocene epoch in what is now Africa. Measuring 5 meters long and weighing 2 tons, it was related to the far larger and more dangerous *Basilosaurus*, as well as other primitive toothed whales. However, it was essentially a scaled-down and more compact version of *Basilosaurus*, with subtle yet important differences that sets it out as its own genus.

In the Series 3 episode "***Big Blue Killer Whale**,*" a pod of Dorudon were brought to the park from Late Eocene Africa, 36 million years ago. They reside in the Whale Watching Enclosure, however their enclosure also leads into the Primeval Aquarium.

## Facts

### Era & Discovery

*Dorudon* lived during the Late Eocene period from about 45 – 33 million years ago. *Dorudon* was discovered in 1906 by Charles William Andrews, who described *Prozeuglodon atrox* (="Proto-*Basilosaurus*") based on a nearly complete skull, a dentary, and three associated vertebrae presented to him by the Geological Museum of Cairo.

### Physical Attributes

*Dorudon* was a relatively small whale, measuring 16 feet (5 m) long and weighing 2 tons (4,000 lbs), making them roughly as big as an Orca, or Killer Whale.

Related to the apex predator of their time *Basilosaurus*, they shared many similar physical traits. It had a relatively large skull with a pair of jaws lined with sharp teeth used to grip onto prey. It also had small hind limbs used to help males and females lock onto each other during copulation.

However, it lacked the melon organ of the modern dolphins and whales, and so it couldn't produce ultrasounds as they did - instead, *Dorudon* communicated with each other by high-pitched sounds that sounded vaguely like squeaking. Just like *Basilosaurus*, *Dorudon* also lacked blubber and needed warm and rather shallow waters to live.

### Behavior & Traits

A species of smaller ancient whale, *Dorudon*, unlike its larger relatives, lived in pods ranged in size and age, including juveniles. Whilst some groups contained over twenty individuals, some would consist of just a few. They lived in these groups to protect their offspring, as shown by a large number of *Dorudon* fossils in Egypt's Fayum deposits, both of adults and calves.

When *Dorudon* gathered in numbers, it meant the females were about to give birth. When females are ready to give birth, they would instinctively return to shallow waters and make a nursery for the newborns. Giving birth in shallow waters would restrict large predators like *Basilosaurus* from entry. In the Egyptian discovery, however, some *Dorudon* fossils are crushed or have teeth marks that match *Basilosaurus* teeth, so this strategy wasn't always successful.

These whales could also use their numbers to ward off predators, even ones as big as their natural predator *Basilosaurus*. The distribution of *Dorudon* ranged. Some groups, particularly larger groups, would live in open, deep waters whilst smaller groups would live in shallow waters and mangrove swamps.

## Trivia

* The sound effects of *Dorudon* are that of beluga whale, dolphin, sea lion, seal, and walrus sound effects.