Wadi Al-Hitan
Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley) is a remote valley 150 km southwest of Cairo. Here hundreds of fossil whale skeletons are being exposed by the wind. They lie trapped in a sandstone formation that represents an ancient sea bed.Wadi Al-Hitan is the most important site in the world to demonstrate the evolution of the whales from land animals to a marine existence. According to the IUCN, "It exceeds the values of other comparable sites in terms of the number, concentration and quality of its fossils, and their accessibility and setting in an attractive and protected landscape."
The fossil whales were first discovered during the winter of 1902-03.
Whales .
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- Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley)
- Year: 2005
- Country: Egypt
- Category: Geological formation, Fossil
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Reasons for inscription
News and links:
» European diplomats in four-wheel-drive cars have caused extensive damage to a fossilised whale lying for millions of years in the Egyptian desert (27-08-2007).
» Field trip to the Valley of the Whales.
» Research on the Origin and Early Evolution of Whales, by Philip D. Gingerich.