''Supayacetus'' is an
extinct genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
basilosaurid
Basilosauridae is a family of extinct cetaceans. They lived during the middle to the early late Eocene and are known from all continents, including Antarctica. They were probably the first fully aquatic cetaceans.Buono M, Fordyce R.E., Marx F.G. ...
cetacean from
Middle Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', "da ...
(
Bartonian
The Bartonian is, in the ICS's geologic time scale, a stage or age in the middle Eocene Epoch or Series. The Bartonian Age spans the time between . It is preceded by the Lutetian and is followed by the Priabonian Age.
Stratigraphic defini ...
stage) deposits of southern
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
.
Etymology
The genus is named after
Supay
In the Quechua, Aymara, and Inca mythologies, Supay was both the god of death and ruler of the '' Ukhu Pacha'', the Incan underworld, as well as a race of demons. Supay is associated with miners' rituals.
With the Spanish colonization of the Amer ...
, the Incan god of death, and ''ketos'' Greek for whale.
Description
''Supayacetus'' is known from the
holotype
A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of sever ...
MUSM 1465, a partial
skeleton. As ''
Ocucajea
''Ocucajea'' is an extinct genus of basilosaurid cetacean from Middle Eocene (Bartonian stage) deposits of southern Peru. ''Ocucajea'' is known from the holotype MUSM 1442, a partial skeleton. It was collected in the Archaeocete Valley site ...
'', it was collected in the Archaeocete Valley site, from the
Paracas Formation of the
Pisco Basin
Pisco Basin ( es, Cuenca de Pisco) is a sedimentary basin extending over in southwestern Peru.Solís Mundaca, 2018, p.1 The basin has a thick sedimentary fill, which is about half the thickness of more northern foreland basins in Peru.
The old ...
about .
[''Supayacetus'']
at Fossilworks.org It was named by and the
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...
''S. muizoni'' honours palaeontologist
Christian de Muizon who has contributed considerably to Peruvian palaeontology.
Distinguishing characters of ''Supayacetus'' include: a T-shaped
manubrium with a rod-shaped process; cheek teeth with accessory denticles; a broad scapula with a large
infraspinous fossa
The infraspinous fossa (infraspinatus fossa or infraspinatous fossa) of the scapula is much larger than the supraspinatous fossa; toward its vertebral margin a shallow concavity is seen at its upper part; its center presents a prominent convexi ...
; humerus with large and hemispherical head, well-defined proximal tuberosities, a long
deltopectoral crest Deltopectoral may refer to;
* Clavipectoral triangle, also known as the deltopectoral triangle
* Deltopectoral groove
* Deltopectoral lymph nodes
One or two deltopectoral lymph nodes (or infraclavicular nodes) are found beside the cephalic vein, b ...
, and a broad shaft. Compared to other
basilosaurids, ''Supayacetus'' is larger than ''
Protocetus'' but its skull and vertebrae are smaller than in other
basilosaurids.
References
Bibliography
*
Basilosauridae
Prehistoric cetacean genera
Eocene mammals of South America
Divisaderan
Paleogene Peru
Fossils of Peru
Fossil taxa described in 2011
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