Otekaikea

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Otekaikea
Temporal range: Late Oligocene. 24.2–23.6 Ma
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Otekaikea marplesi.jpg
Partial holotype skull of O. marplesi shown form above
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Superfamily: Platanistoidea (?)
Family: †Waipatiidae
Genus: †Otekaikea
Tanaka and Fordyce, 2014
Species
  • O. marplesi (Dickson, 1964) (type)
  • O. huata Tanaka and Fordyce, 2015

Otekaikea is an extinct genus of toothed whale closely related to Waipatia. It is known from the late Oligocene (Chattian) of New Zealand.

Description[]

Reconstructed skull of O. marplesi

Otekaikea is a medium-sized odontocete similar to Waipatia in the following characters: maxilla and occipital partly separated by parietal; flat dorsal surface of periotic; long posterior process of the periotic; and poorly developed ventromedial keel of the bulla. Differences from other archaic odontocetes include: broad dished face; elevated nodular subrhomboidal nasals and elevated frontals; smooth-surfaced premaxillary sac fossae without prominent premaxillary sulci developed posteriorly; premaxillae strongly bifurcated posteriorly, associated with bilateral posterior accessory foramina and elevated crests on the maxillae; periotic with long slender parallel-sided posterior process, and sharp apex of anterior process.[1]

Taxonomy[]

Otekaikea was originally described as a species of Prosqualodon, P. marplesi.[2] In 1994, it was referred to the genus Notocetus in the original description of Waipatia.[3] Preparation of the holotype, however, established its affinities with Waipatia, and Prosqualodon marplesi was given its own genus, Otekaikea, after the in New Zealand where it was first discovered.[1]

A second species, Otekaikea huata, differs from the type species in having single-rooted posterior cheek teeth and a reduced ascending process of the premaxilla.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Tanaka Y, Fordyce RE (2014) Fossil Dolphin Otekaikea marplesi (Latest Oligocene, New Zealand) Expands the Morphological and Taxonomic Diversity of Oligocene Cetaceans. PLoS ONE 9(9): e107972. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0107972
  2. ^ Dickson MR (1964) The skull and other remains of Prosqualodon marplesi, a new species of fossil whale. N Z J Geol Geophys 7: 626–635. doi: 10.1080/00288306.1964.10422110
  3. ^ Fordyce RE (1994) Waipatia maerewhenua, new genus and new species (Waipatiidae, new family), an archaic Late Oligocene dolphin (Cetacea: Odontoceti: Platanistoidea) from New Zealand. Proc San Diego Soc Nat Hist 29: 147–176.
  4. ^ Tanaka, Yoshihiro and Fordyce, R. Ewan 2015. A new Oligo-Miocene dolphin from New Zealand: Otekaikea huata expands diversity of the early Platanistoidea. Palaeontologia Electronica 18.2.23A: 1-71 palaeo-electronica.org/content/2015/1161-fossil-platanistoid-dolphin
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