Closing the corridor – search for archaeocete fossils (Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla) in the Eocene deposits of Kangan area (Gulf region, Iran)

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In the Bandar-e-Kangan region, Persian Gulf, Iran, fossilised bones of large vertebrates were found in the marine deposits of the Pabdeh Formation (Palaeogeneous rocks). A short expedition provided the certainty that there were probably archaeocete remains embedded in the Eocene beds of the Kangan anticline. However, the discovered surface finds were strongly weathered, so that a distinct determination was not possible. A targeted prospection and excavation is now planned in order to find and recover unweathered skeletal remains. The site is located in the corridor between the excellently documented basal archaeocetes from the shallow marine sediments of Indopakistan (Ypresian-Bartonian) and the western Tethys province of Wadi Al-Hitan in Egypt (Bartonian-Priabonian) with predominantly derived, fully marine representatives of the Basilosauridae.Findings from Iran could be of great importance for the interpretation of the phylogeny and development of the paraphyletic archaeocetes and could extend our knowledge regarding the evolution of cetaceans. Ultimately, further discussion depends on the success of our excavation activities, also on the nature and preservation of findings. Geodata from sites of discovery should help to reconstruct age and environment of discovered fossils.