Protocetus

Protocetus Temporal range: Middle Eocene, 45–43.5 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Underside of a skull cast at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	†Protocetidae
Genus:	†Protocetus Fraas 1904
Species:	†P. atavus
Binomial name
†Protocetus atavus Fraas 1904

Protocetus atavus ("first whale") is an extinct species of primitive cetacean from Egypt. It lived during the middle Eocene period 45 million years ago. The first discovered protocetid, Protocetus atavus was described by Fraas 1904 based on a cranium and a number of associated vertebrae and ribs found in middle Lutetian Tethyan marine limestone from Gebel Mokattam near Cairo, Egypt.^[1]