''Agorophius'' is an extinct genus of

toothed whale The toothed whales (also called odontocetes, systematic name Odontoceti) are a parvorder of cetaceans that includes dolphins, porpoises, and all other whales possessing teeth, such as the beaked whales and sperm whales. Seventy-three species of t ...

that lived during the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

period, approximately , in the waters off what is now

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

Taxonomy

The holotype of ''Agorophius pygmaeus'', MCZ 8761, was first mentioned in an 1848 report on the geology of South Carolina by Michael Tuomey. It was eventually described as ''Zeuglodon pygmaeus'' by

Johannes Peter Müller Johannes Peter Müller (14 July 1801 – 28 April 1858) was a German physiologist, comparative anatomy, comparative anatomist, ichthyology, ichthyologist, and herpetology, herpetologist, known not only for his discoveries but also for his ability ...

in 1849. Louis Agassiz coined the name ''Phocodon holmesii'' for the same specimen, classifying it as an odontocete. Later authors considered ''Zeuglodon pygmaeus'' a species of either ''

Dorudon ''Dorudon'' ("spear-tooth") is a genus of extinct basilosaurid ancient whales that lived alongside ''Basilosaurus'' 40.4 to 33.9 million years ago in the Eocene. It was a small whale, with ''D. atrox'' measuring long and weighing . ''Dorudon'' ...

'' or ''

Squalodon ''Squalodon'' is an extinct genus of whales of the Oligocene and Miocene epochs, belonging to the family Squalodontidae. Named by Jean-Pierre Sylvestre de Grateloup in 1840, it was originally believed to be an iguanodontid dinosaur but has since ...

'', and in 1895

Edward Drinker Cope Edward Drinker Cope (July 28, 1840 – April 12, 1897) was an American zoologist, paleontologist, comparative anatomist, herpetologist, and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested ...

eventually recognized it as being a distinct genus, which he named ''Agorophius''. Although the skull is lost and the tooth is the only extant part of MCZ 8761, Fordyce (1981) was able to diagnose ''Agorophius'' based on existing descriptions of the skull by Muller, Cope, and Agassiz.R. E. Fordyce. 1981. Systematics of the odontocete whale Agorophius pygmaeus and the Family Agorophiidae (Mammalia: Cetacea). Journal of Paleontology 55(5):1028-1045. New specimens from the

Ashley Formation The Ashley Formation is a geologic formation in South Carolina. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark Arts, ente ...

and

Chandler Bridge Formation The Chandler Bridge Formation is a geologic formation in South Carolina. It preserves fossils dating back to the Chattian (Late Oligocene) of the Paleogene period, corresponding to the Arikareean in the NALMA classification.

have provided new data on ''Agorophius'', distinguishing it from other Oligocene odontocetes from the US Eastern Seaboard by the condition of its intertemporal condition.S. Godfrey, M. D. Uhen, J. E. Osborne and L. E. Edwards. 2016. A new specimen of Agorophius pygmaeus (Agorophiidae, Odontoceti, Cetacea) from the early Oligocene Ashley Formation of South Carolina, USA. Journal of Paleontology 90(1):154-169.

Classification

''Agorophius'' is the type genus of Agorophiidae, named by Abel in 1914. A number of archaic odontocetes (e.g. ''

Archaeodelphis ''Archaeodelphis'' is an extinct genus of primitive odontocete cetacean from late Oligocene ( Chattian) marine deposits in South Carolina, and belonging to the family Xenorophidae Xenorophidae is an extinct family of odontocetes currently kno ...

'', '' Microzeuglodon'', and ''

Xenorophus ''Xenorophus'' is a genus of primitive odontocete from late Oligocene ( Chattian) marine deposits in South Carolina belonging to Xenorophidae. Classification ''Xenorophus'' was originally described on the basis of a skull from the Chandler Bri ...

'') were previously assigned to this family, but are now recognized as belonging to distinct families (

Xenorophidae Xenorophidae is an extinct family of odontocetes currently known from the Oligocene of the southeastern US. Known genera of xenorophids include '' Albertocetus'', '' Archaeodelphis'', ''Xenorophus ''Xenorophus'' is a genus of primitive odonto ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q48783552 Prehistoric toothed whales Oligocene cetaceans Prehistoric mammals of North America Prehistoric cetacean genera Fossil taxa described in 1895 Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope