Nanokogia

Nanokogia Temporal range: Late Miocene 11.6–7.2 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Dorsal view of holotype skull of Nanokogia isthmia gen. et sp. nov. (UF 280000). Abbreviations: adif, anterior dorsal infraorbital foramen; an, antorbital notch; en, external nares; et, ethmoid; fr, frontal; la+j, lacrimal + jugal; lmc, lateral maxillary crest; mrg, mesorostral groove; mx, maxilla; pmx, premaxilla; pdif, posterior dorsal infraorbital foramen; scf, supracranial fossa; sfc, sagittal facial crest; sq, squamosal; vo, vomer. Gray shaded areas indicate sediment; diagonal lines denote broken surfaces. Gray shaded areas indicate sediment; diagonal lines denote broken surfaces.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	Kogiidae
Genus:	†Nanokogia Velez-Juarbe et al. 2015
Species
N. isthmia Velez-Juarbe et al., 2015

Nanokogia is an extinct genus of pygmy sperm whale that lived off the coast of Panama during the Late Miocene.

Description[]

Nanokogia is distinguished from other kogiids in lacking functional teeth in the upper jaw, antorbital notches forming a narrow slit, antorbital notches within the supracranial basin, and the left premaxilla excluded from the sagittal facial crest. The absence of functional teeth is also seen in modern pygmy sperm whales and the extinct genus Scaphokogia.^[1]

Biology[]

Nanokogia relied on suction-feeding to capture squid and diel-migrating fishes, given the absence of functional teeth in the upper jaw.

References[]