14.0 cm Basilosaurus anterior tooth

14.0 cm long front tooth of Basilosaurus

The 14.0 cm long tooth of Basilosaurus comes from the anterior region of the dentition. The dark brown enamel is in a beautiful state of preservation and a very large part of the root is still present. The tooth has been repaired, as is the case with most finds from Morocco. The Basilosaurus used its harpoon-like front teeth to catch its prey and its rear teeth to split the bones and crush the prey. Basilosaurus ("king lizard") is an extinct species of whale that could grow up to 18 metres long. Its body was snake-like and it was the largest marine predator of its time.