A new Science Advances study led by Sanaa El-Sayed reveals that many modern fish groups were already diversifying in Egypt less than 4Ma after the extinction of the dinosaurs, providing a rare glimpse into the recovery of ancient marine ecosystems. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aec8978
Thanks @eliamson.bsky.social for including us in such amazing work!
This summer, we are training young scientists in fossil digitisation.
Behind the discovery
The dawn of modern marine fish!
@sanaaelsayed.bsky.social @friedmanlab.bsky.social
Fast, fearless, unstoppable!
Egyptian Desert!
Led by the incomparable Sanaa El-Sayed, a study out today in Science Advances throws open an important new window on marine fish diversity during the critical few million years following the K-Pg mass extinction. Below: artistic vision of the new fauna by Ian Baylatry.
Video
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.
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.
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).
Video
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 👇
Hesham Sallam
Hesham Sallam
Hesham Sallam
Hesham Sallam
Hesham Sallam
ALT: a cartoon of homer simpson sniffing something with his mouth open
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.
Eli Amson
Eli Amson
Eli Amson
Eli Amson
Matt Friedman
🇧🇷 in 🇩🇪, 🐢 virtual paleo, functional morph -researcher at Senckenberg HEP | sci. coordinator of 3D Imaging Lab of the Uni. Tübingen
gabrielsferreira.com
