City - Fayoum State - WHALE VALLEY Country - Egypt
About
Wadi Al-Hitan, Whale Valley, in the Western Desert of Egypt is a palaeontological site in the Al Fayyum Governorate of Egypt.
It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2005 for its hundreds of fossils of some of the earliest whale forms, the archaeoceti.
It is the most important site in the world to demonstrate one of the iconic changes that make up the record of life on Earth: the evolution of the whales.
It portrays vividly their form and mode of life during their transition from land animals to a marine existence.
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.
It accords with key principles of the IUCN study on fossil World Heritage Sites, and represents significant values that are currently absent from the World Heritage List.
For more information: http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/1186.pdf
So interesting details and dramatic feeling, thanks for your description of Whale valley's fossils. Great work, nice composition. Thanks my friend! 7/7
Incredible image and a great reminder from the old Tethys Sea. What an astonishing area with such an interesting and valuable history. If anybody hasn't seen it yet - check out the Walking With Beasts dvd for some great animations on this topic. Regards
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{K:80636} 1/27/2008
