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Scientists say they have found a 43 million-year-old fossil of a whale ancestor in Egypt.
科学家称，他们在埃及发现了一块4300万年前的鲸鱼祖先化石。
The fossil remains help show how ancestors of modern whales might have moved from living on land to living in water.
化石遗骸有助于说明现代鲸鱼的祖先可能是如何从陆地迁移到水中生活的。
An Egyptian-led team of researchers made the discovery.
一个由埃及领导的研究小组发现了它。
The newly found whale belongs to the Protocetidae group.
新发现的鲸鱼属于原鲸科。
That is a group of ancient whale ancestors that might have lived on land and in the water.
那是一群可能生活在陆地和水中的古老鲸鱼祖先。
The fossil was found in the Fayum Depression in Egypt's Western Desert.
这块化石是在埃及西部沙漠的法尤姆洼地发现的。
The area was once covered by a sea.
这个地区曾是一片汪洋。
Scientists have made many discoveries there that have provided more information about the evolution of whales.
科学家们在那里有许多发现，为鲸鱼的进化提供了更多的信息。
The new species is named Phiomicetus Anubis.
这个新物种被命名为阿努比斯原鲸。
It is estimated to have been three meters long and weighed about 600 kilograms.
据估计，它长3米，重约600公斤。
It fed on other animals, the researchers said.
研究人员说，它以其他动物为食。
It is the oldest whale ancestor known in Africa.
它是非洲已知的最古老的鲸鱼祖先。
"Phiomicetus anubis is a key new whale species, and a critical discovery for Egyptian and African paleontology," said Abdullah Gohar of the Mansoura University Vertebrate Palaeontology Centre (MUVP).
曼苏拉大学脊椎动物古生物中心(MUVP)的阿卜杜拉·戈哈尔说：“阿努比斯原鲸是一种关键的新鲸鱼物种，也是埃及和非洲古生物学的一个重要发现。”
He is the lead writer of a paper on the fossil.
他是一篇关于该化石的论文的主要作者。
The whale evolution in Africa is still largely unknown, the researchers said.
研究人员说，鲸鱼在非洲的进化在很大程度上仍然是未知的。
But work in the area can provide new information about the evolutionary change from amphibious to fully aquatic whales.
但在该地区的工作可以提供关于鲸鱼从两栖到完全水栖的渐进性变化的新信息。
Rocks in the Fayum Depression cover a 12 million year period.
法尤姆洼地中的岩石存在了1200万年。
Researchers have found "semiaquatic crocodile-like whales to giant fully aquatic whales," said Mohamed Sameh.
穆罕默德·萨梅说，研究人员发现了“半水生鳄鱼状鲸鱼到巨型全水生鲸鱼”。
He is with the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency and also a writer of the study.
他就职于埃及环境事务署，也是这项研究的作者之一。
The research also raises questions about ancient environments.
这项研究还提出了有关古代环境的问题。
Part of the whale's name honors the Fayum Depression.
该鲸鱼的名字中有一部分是为了纪念法尤姆洼地。
The species name comes from Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god connected with the afterlife.
这个物种的名字来自阿努比斯，一位与来世有关的古埃及神。
I'm Dan Novak.
我是丹·诺瓦克。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
