The Environment Ministry announced on Monday that it had discovered the largest whale skeleton in the world, dating back 37 million years. The skeleton was found in the area of Siwa Oasis, which became a natural protectorate in 2002. According to a statement from the Environment Ministry, the Egyptian Fossil Exploration Team found the skeleton during a collaboration with the University of Michigan that lead to the discovery of several important fossils. The ministry also announced that 150 new palaeontological sites have recently been registered as excavation sites. Among the specimens contained in the sites are three different types of marine species, namely whales, dugongs, and giant sea turtles, as well as water snakes, and shark teeth. The statement said that that the ministry is currently taking steps to secure and protect these fossils, and that experts from the nature conservation sector would be educating both the local population of the protectorate and eco-tourism workers on the significance of these fossils and how to preserve them. The statement added that the ministry is preparing to publish its new findings in various scientific forums and is working on putting Siwa Oasis on the eco-tourism map. Translated from the Arabic Edition
