''Orycteocetus'' is an extinct genus of sperm whale from the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

of the northern

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

Classification

''Orycterocetus'' is a member of

Physeteroidea Physeteroidea is a superfamily that includes three extant species of whales: the sperm whale, in the genus ''Physeter'', and the pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale, in the genus ''Kogia''. In the past, these genera have sometimes been unite ...

closely related to crown-group sperm whales. The type species, ''O. quadratidens'', was first named by

Joseph Leidy Joseph Mellick Leidy (September 9, 1823 – April 30, 1891) was an American paleontologist, parasitologist and anatomist. Leidy was professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania, later was a professor of natural history at Swarthmore ...

on the basis of two teeth, two partial mandibular rami, and a rib from Neogene deposits of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. Two more species were subsequently described, ''O. cornutidens'' Leidy 1856 and ''O. crocodilinus'' Cope, 1868,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 the latter from the middle Miocene

Calvert Formation The Calvert Formation is a geologic formation in Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. It preserves fossils dating back to the early to middle Miocene epoch of the Neogene period. The formation is a destination for amateur fossil hunters as well as ...

References

Sources

* Cenozoic Seas: The View From Eastern North America by Edward J. Petuch * Marine Mammals: Evolutionary Biology by Annalisa Berta and James L. Sumich Sperm whales Miocene cetaceans Prehistoric toothed whales Prehistoric cetacean genera Extinct mammals of North America {{paleo-whale-stub