''Microcetus'' is a genus of extinct
odontocete
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 ...
from the late Oligocene (
Chattian
The Chattian is, in the geologic timescale, the younger of two ages or upper of two stages of the Oligocene Epoch/Series. It spans the time between . The Chattian is preceded by the Rupelian and is followed by the Aquitanian (the lowest stage ...
) of
Nordrhein-Westfalen
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabi ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
Taxonomy
The type species of ''Microcetus'', ''M. ambiguus'', was originally described as a new species of ''
Phoca
''Phoca'' ( ) is a genus of the earless seals, within the family Phocidae, source of the French name for seal, 'phoque'. It now contains just two species, the common seal (or harbour seal) and the spotted seal (or largha seal). Several species f ...
'' on the basis of teeth from late Oligocene deposits in northwestern Germany. The odontocete nature of the teeth was eventually recognized, and it was eventually assigned to ''
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 ...
'', before being made the type species of a new genus, ''Microcetus''.
Misassigned species
* ''Microcetus hectori'' Benham, 1935 = ''
Waipatia hectori''
* ''Microcetus sharkovi'' Dubrovo and Sharkov, 1971 = likely a distinct genus, but affinities uncertain
[Y. Tanaka and R. E. Fordyce. 2015. Historically significant late Oligocene dolphin Microcetus hectori Benham 1935: a new species of Waipatia (Platanistoidea). Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q20721491
Fossil taxa described in 1923
Oligocene cetaceans
Cenozoic mammals of Europe