Hesham Sallam

Fast, fearless, unstoppable!
Egyptian Desert!

a cartoon of homer simpson sniffing something with his mouth open ALT: a cartoon of homer simpson sniffing something with his mouth open

We addressed two aspects of cetacean evolution: their acquisition of a relatively big brain and the evolution of their sense of smell. As other mammals secondarily adapted to the aquatic environment, cetaceans have been assumed to reduce their sense of smell (which is air-born in this group).

Comparing the relative volume of the brain endocast, we found that this early whale was quite brainy, which is a surprise, as the first cetaceans with big brains were so far understood to be the fully aquatic basilosaurids.

We ct-scanned the skull of Protocetus atavus, an amphibious cetacean coming from the Mokattam Formation in Egypt. The inner anatomy of the skull was reconstructed, and we were able to reconstruct the brain imprint (endocast) as well as the different components of the nasal cavity.

Fossil brain 🧠🧟 of a 45-million-year-old cetacean! We are proud to publish‪ @journal-evo.bsky.social l the result of Elena Berger’s Bachelor’s thesis @smnstuttgart.bsky.social. Thread 👇
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Thanks @eliamson.bsky.social for including us in such amazing work!

This summer, we are training young scientists in fossil digitisation.

جانب من فعاليات سيمينار التقدم لدرجة الدكتوراة للطالبة شروق الأشقر بحضور قامات التخصص بقسم الجيولوجيا جامعة المنصورة ❤️
#سلام_لاب
#SallamLab
#MUVP

مركز جامعة المنصورة للحفريات الفقارية النهاردة. صنع في مصر💪
#سلام_لاب

First uploading of a photo of Wadi Hitan from Wadi Hitan, Egypt 🤷‍♂️❤️

رقمنة الحفريات داخل مركز جامعة المنصورة للحفريات الفقارية مشروع قومي مهم للحفاظ على التراث الطبيعي المصري.

بداية توافد طلاب التدريب للمركز. رهف اشرف -اولي اعدادي

Picking microfossils!

Natural Beauty - AUCToday Dating back millennia, the petrified wood at AUC New Cairo is more than pretty — it’s prehistoric.

auctoday.com/2025/05/29/n...
An article on petrified wood at the American University in Cairo, featuring Professor Hesham Sallam, founder of the Mansoura University Center for Vertebrate Paleontology.

Muvp Activity

Kerunia cornuta is a hydrozoan fossil that lived in Wadi Hitan of Egypt 40 million years ago. From this view, its shape resembles the ankh, the famous symbol of life in ancient Egyptian times.

In this place, we do high-quality research, train young scientists, reach out to the public, digitize Egyptian fossils, explore new discoveries, and much more.

Finally met the original fossil of #Aegyptopithecus — the ancient primate that lived in Egypt 30 million years ago. A true ancestor moment!

#SallamLab supports young Egyptian women in becoming leaders in science by engaging them in practical paleontological research, field expeditions, and educational experiences.

A field workshop by #SallamLab on how to handle exposed fossils — empowering young Egyptian explorers and training the next generation of paleontologists!

Good morning from Fayum Desert, Egypt ❤️
#SallamLab #MUVP #Egypt

Differential Weathering and Erosion in the Western Desert of Egypt

A 40-million-year-old whale skull and its mandibles sticking out of a cliff.
#SallamLab #MUVP #Egypt

Aegyptopithecus (Right), an early primate, and Bastetodon (left), its likely predator. They coexisted in Egypt 30 million years ago, shaping a dynamic ecosystem.
#SallamLab #MUVP #Egypt

Some Sharp and Pointed Teeth of Ancient Whales!
#SallamLab #MUVP #Egypt

#SallamLab community, #MUVP, #Egypt

This handful of sediment from Wadi Al-Hitan, Egypt, isn’t just sand—it holds the remains of ancient marine life, including sea urchins, shells, sharks, crabs, and nummulites, telling the story of a long-lost ocean.

Our recent research received extensive media coverage. The article ranked 13th in Altmetric Attention and 6th in Taylor & Francis publications for 2025. @shorouqalashqar.bsky.social @matt-borths.bsky.social
#SallamLab #MUVP #Egypt

Robert Carroll Award – Nominations Open - For outstanding early-career researchers in vertebrate paleontology. If you know a deserving candidate, consider submitting a nomination!
Nomination Deadline: April 1, 2025
vertpaleo.org/robert-lynn-...

Eocene catfish, Egypt
#SallamLab #MUVP