Bawitius

Bah-wit-e-us.
By Maeve Foster
Published on

Maeve Foster

Paleoclimatologist

Maeve Foster explores the Earth's climatic past to understand the forces that shaped life on our planet. Her research into ancient climate events provides valuable context for current environmental challenges.

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Foster, M. (2014, December 5). Bawitius. Prehistoric-wildlife. https://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/bawitius/

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Name

Bawitius.

Phonetic

Bah-wit-e-us.

Named By

B.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Grandstaff,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬B.‭ ‬Smith,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Lamanna‭ ‬,‭ ‬K.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Lacovara‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Abdel-Ghani‭ ‬-‭ ‬2012.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Actinopterygii,‭ ‬Chondrostei,‭ ‬Polypteriformes,‭ ‬Polypteridae.

Diet

Carnivore/Piscivore‭?

Species

B.‭ ‬bartheli‭

Size

Up to‭ ‬3‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Egypt‭ ‬-‭ ‬Bahariya Formation.

Time Period

Cenomanian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Bones and scales.

In Depth

       Bawitius was a prehistoric relative to the Polypterus genus of fish that we know today,‭ ‬which is also a popular fish amongst aquarium keepers.‭ ‬However comparison between fossils of Bawitius compared with Polypterus,‭ ‬indicate that Bawitius was much larger,‭ ‬potentially reaching sizes up three meters long.‭ ‬Aside from other large fish such as sharks,‭ ‬predatory threats to Bawitius may have come from spinosaurid dinosaurs such as the huge Spinosaurus.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Bawitius,‭ ‬gen.‭ ‬nov.,‭ ‬a giant polypterid‭ (‬Osteichthyes,‭ ‬Actinopterygii‭) ‬from the Upper Cretaceous Bahariya Formation of Egypt.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology‭ ‬32‭ (‬1‭)‬:‭ ‬17‭–‬26.‭ ‬doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.626823‭ ‬-‭ ‬B.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Grandstaff,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬B.‭ ‬Smith,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Lamanna‭ ‬,‭ ‬K.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Lacovara‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Abdel-Ghani‭ ‬-‭ ‬2012.

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