Masracetus

Masracetus; Temporal range: 37.2–33.9 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	Restoration
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	†Basilosauridae
Subfamily:	†Dorudontinae
Genus:	†Masracetus; Gingerich 2007
Species
	M. markgrafi (type); Gingerich 2007;

Masracetus (from Arabic Masr, "Egypt", and Greek ketos, "whale")^[1] is an extinct genus of basilosaurid ancient whale known from the Late Eocene (Priabonian, 37.2 to 33.9 million years ago) of Egypt.^[2]

Masracetus was briefly described in an addendum by Gingerich 2007 and is known from just an assemblage of vertebrae and a poorly reconstructed skull from 1908. The lumbar vertebrae are large but relatively short (anteroposteriorly) compared to those of other archaeocetes; the diameter is almost the same as for Basilosaurus isis but the length is less than half of the latter. Masracetus is larger than Cynthiacetus,^[3] but it is suggested that the former might be synonymized as a junior synonym with the latter.^[4]

The species name honours Richard Markgraf, palaeontologist Ernst Stromer's fossil collector, who collected the type specimen in 1905.^[1]

Masracetus' type locality is the Birket Qarun Formation in Dimê (29°30′N 30°42′E / 29.5°N 30.7°E / 29.5; 30.7, paleocoordinates 24°54′N 26°36′E / 24.9°N 26.6°E / 24.9; 26.6) north of lake Birket Qarun,^[5] but specimens have also been found in the Qattara Depression and Fayum.^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]