''Peripolocetus'' is a genus of

balaenid Balaenidae () is a Family (biology), family of whales of the parvorder Mysticeti that contains two living genera: the right whales (genus ''Eubalaena''), and in a separate genus, the closely related bowhead whale (genus ''Balaena''). Evolutionar ...

baleen whale Baleen whales (systematic name Mysticeti), also known as whalebone whales, are a parvorder of carnivorous marine mammals of the infraorder Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises) which use keratinaceous baleen plates (or "whalebone") in their ...

from the middle

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first 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 means "less recen ...

Kern County Kern County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield. Kern County comprises the Bakersfield, California, Metropolitan statistical area. The county sp ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

.M. D. Uhen, R. E. Fordyce, and L. G. Barnes. 2008. Mysticeti. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America II:607-628

Classification

Like other non-balaenopteroid thalassotheres, ''Peripolocetus'' was classified as a cetotheriid in the past. When named by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

zoologist

Remington Kellogg Arthur Remington Kellogg (5 October 1892 – 8 May 1969) was an American naturalist and a director of the United States National Museum. His work focused on marine mammals. Early life and career Kellogg was born in Davenport, Iowa, and quick ...

in 1931, it was assigned to Cetotheriidae, an opinion followed by subsequent authors. However, it was assigned to Mysticeti

incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

by one source, and a cladistic analysis of '' Herpetocetus morrowi'' recovered ''Peripolocetus'' as a member of Balaenoidea. The assignment of ''Peripolocetus'' to Balaenoidea was further reinforced by a new specimen from the type locality at Sharktooth Hill Bonebed.Demere, T., and Pyenson, N. D., 2015. Filling the Miocene 'Balaenid Gap'-the previously enigmatic ''Peripolocetus vexillifer'' Kellogg, 1931 is a stem balaenid (Cetacea: Mysticeti) from the Middle Miocene (Langhian) of California, USA. ''Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology'' 35 (Supplement): 115A.

References

Baleen whales Miocene cetaceans Prehistoric cetacean genera Fossil taxa described in 1931 Fossils of the United States Taxa named by Remington Kellogg {{paleo-whale-stub