Orycterocetus
| Orycterocetus Temporal range: Miocene
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Physeteridae |
| Genus: | †Orycterocetus Leidy, 1853 |
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Orycteocetus is an extinct genus of sperm whale from the Miocene of the northern Atlantic Ocean.
Classification[]
Orycterocetus is a member of Physeteroidea closely related to crown-group sperm whales. The type species, O. quadratidens, was first named by Joseph Leidy on the basis of two teeth, two partial mandibular rami, and a rib from Neogene deposits of Virginia.[1] Two more species were subsequently described, O. cornutidens Leidy 1856[2] and O. crocodilinus Cope, 1868,[3] the latter from the middle Miocene Calvert Formation. The species Physeter vetus is quite likely a sub species or the Orycterocetus itself as it is only known from teeth unless fossils of Physeter vetus are found it may remain a mystery
References[]
- ^ J. Leidy. 1853. [Observations on extinct Cetacea]. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences 6:377-378
- ^ J. Leidy. 1856. Notice of remains of extinct vertebrated animals discovered by Professor E. Emmons. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 8:255-257
- ^ E. D. Cope. 1867. An addition to the vertebrate fauna of the Miocene period, with a synopsis of the extinct Cetacea of the United States. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 19(4):138-157
Sources[]
- Cenozoic Seas: The View From Eastern North America by Edward J. Petuch
- Marine Mammals: Evolutionary Biology by Annalisa Berta and James L. Sumich
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