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Basilosauridae
Basilosauridae is a family of extinct cetaceans that lived during the middle to late Eocene. Basilosaurids are known from all continents including Antarctica, and are probably the first fully aquatic cetaceans.Buono M, Fordyce R.E., Marx F.G., Fernández M.S. & Reguero M. (2019). "Eocene Antarctica: a window into the earliest history of modern whales". ''Advances in Polar Science'' 30(3): p. 293-302. doi:10.13679/j.advps.2019.0005 The group is noted to be a paraphyletic assemblage of stem group whales from which the monophyletic Neoceti are derived. Characteristics Basilosaurids ranged in size from and were fairly similar to modern cetaceans in overall body form and function. Some genera tend to show signs of convergent evolution with mosasaurs by having long serpentine body shape, which suggests that this body plan seems to have been rather successful. Basilosaurid forelimbs have broad and fan-shaped scapulae attached to a humerus, radius, and ulna which are flattened i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basiloterus
''Basiloterus'' is an extinct genus of late-Eocene archaeocete whale from the Drazinda Formation in southwestern Punjab, Pakistan and possibly also the Barton Group (originally Barton Beds) of England. Known from two isolated lumbar vertebrae, the elongated nature of these elements has been taken as possible evidence that ''Basiloterus'' was a close relative of the better-known ''Basilosaurus''. This was also the reasoning behind its name, which roughly translates to "another king". However, publications since then not only lead to some major changes of the internal relationships within Basilosauridae but have also called into question how diagnostic elongated vertebrae are for members of this group, as other early whales have developed similar anatomy independently. Though the identity of ''Basiloterus'' as a basilosaurid is generally maintained, its exact position within more recent interpretations of the family is unclear. History and naming The fossil remains of ''Basilot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basilosaurus
''Basilosaurus'' (meaning "king lizard") is a genus of large, predatory, prehistoric archaeocete whale from the late Eocene, approximately 41.3 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). First described in 1834, it was the first archaeocete and prehistoric whale known to science. Fossils attributed to the type species ''B. cetoides'' were discovered in the southeastern United States. They were originally thought to be of a giant reptile, hence the suffix "-saurus", Ancient Greek for "lizard". The animal was later found to be an early marine mammal, prompting attempts at renaming the creature, which failed as the rules of zoological nomenclature dictate using the original name given. The second species named in 1904, ''B. isis'', lived in the region currently known as the Mediterranean Sea, with fossils found in North Africa and Jordan. ''Basilosaurus'' is thought to have been one of the largest animals of the Paleogene, with the type species ''B. cetoides'' measuring around long and we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basilosaurus And Dorudon Skeletons - Voss Et Al 2019
''Basilosaurus'' (meaning "king lizard") is a genus of large, predatory, prehistoric archaeocete whale from the late Eocene, approximately 41.3 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). First described in 1834, it was the first archaeocete and prehistoric whale known to science. Fossils attributed to the type species ''B. cetoides'' were discovered in the southeastern United States. They were originally thought to be of a giant reptile, hence the suffix "-saurus", Ancient Greek for "lizard". The animal was later found to be an early marine mammal, prompting attempts at renaming the creature, which failed as the rules of zoological nomenclature dictate using the original name given. The second species named in 1904, ''B. isis'', lived in the region currently known as the Mediterranean Sea, with fossils found in North Africa and Jordan. ''Basilosaurus'' is thought to have been one of the largest animals of the Paleogene, with the type species ''B. cetoides'' measuring around long and wei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zygorhiza Kochii (early Whale)
''Zygorhiza'' ("Yoke-Root") is an extinct genus of basilosaurid early whale known from the Late Eocene (Priabonian, 38–34 Ma) of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, United States, and the Bartonian (43–37 Ma on the New Zealand geologic time scale) to the late Eocene of New Zealand (). Specimens reported from Europe are considered Dorudontinae ''incertae sedis''. ''Zygorhiza kochii'', along with ''Basilosaurus'' under the designation "prehistoric whales", is the state fossil of Mississippi. Taxonomic history Reichenbach (1847) erected ''Basilosaurus kochii'' for the posterior skull fragment MB Ma.43248, found in the Late Eocene (middle-late Priabonian) Ocala Limestone of Clarksville, Louisiana. Meanwhile, Muller (1851) erected a new subspecies of ''Zeuglodon brachyspondylus'', ''Z. brachyspondylus minor'', for not only MB Ma.43248 but also MB Ma.43247, TM 8501 (holotype of ''Zeuglodon hydrarchus'' Carus, 1849), and several vertebrae. In the late 19th century there was a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dorudontinae
Dorudontinae are a group of extinct cetaceans that are related to ''Basilosaurus''.. Retrieved July 2013. Classification * Subfamily Dorudontinae ** Genus ''Ancalecetus'' *** ''Ancalecetus simonsi'' ** Genus ''Chrysocetus'' *** ''Chrysocetus fouadassii'' *** ''Chrysocetus healyorum'' ** Genus ''Cynthiacetus'' *** ''Cynthiacetus maxwelli'' *** ''Cynthiacetus peruvianus'' ** Genus ''Dorudon'' *** ''Dorudon atrox'' *** ''Dorudon serratus'' ** Genus ''Masracetus'' *** ''Masracetus markgrafi'' ** Genus ''Saghacetus'' *** ''Saghacetus osiris'' ** Genus ''Stromerius'' *** ''Stromerius nidensis'' ** Genus ''Zygorhiza'' *** ''Zygorhiza kochii'' Notes References * Basilosauridae {{paleo-whale-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basilosaurinae
Basilosaurinae is a subfamily of cetaceans archaeocetes containing two genera: ''Basilosaurus'' and '' Basiloterus''.. Retrieved July 2013. They were characterized by elongated distal thoracic vertebrae, lumbar, and proximal sacrococcygeal. All known members of the subfamily are larger than their relatives of the Dorudontinae subfamily except '' Cynthiacetus''. Classification * Subfamily Basilosaurinae ** Genus ''Basilosaurus ''Basilosaurus'' (meaning "king lizard") is a genus of large, predatory, prehistoric archaeocete whale from the late Eocene, approximately 41.3 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). First described in 1834, it was the first archaeocete and prehisto ...'' *** ''Basilosaurus cetoides'' *** ''Basilosaurus isis'' ** Genus '' Basiloterus'' *** ''Basiloterus hussaini'' Notes References * * Basilosauridae Eocene first appearances Eocene extinctions {{paleo-whale-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Perucetus
''Perucetus'' is an extinct genus of an early whale from Peru that lived during the Bartonian age of the middle Eocene. ''Perucetus'' is the largest Eocene whale, with length estimates varying from to . It was initially claimed to have rivaled or exceeded the modern blue whale in weight, partly due to the incredibly thick and dense bones this animal possessed, coupled with its already great size, but subsequent studies argued that it was significantly lighter. The ecology of ''Perucetus'' also remains largely mysterious. Based on the fossils, it was likely a slow-moving inhabitant of shallow waters. Its diet can only be speculated, but one suggestion proposes that it may have fed on benthic animals like crustaceans and molluscs living on the ocean floor. Only a single species is currently known, ''P. colossus''. History and naming ''Perucetus'' is known from a variety of bones; namely, thirteen vertebrae, four ribs, and some parts of the pelvic region. All bones are from the s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tutcetus
''Tutcetus'' is an extinct genus of diminutive basilosaurid cetacean from the Bartonian of Egypt. ''Tutcetus'', named after the child pharaoh Tutankhamun, is both one of the oldest known basilosaurids from Africa and the smallest member of the family. It is suggested that the type specimen, a subadult close to maturity, only measured approximately long. The genus is monotypic, only including the species ''T. rayanensis''. History and naming ''Tutcetus'' was first described in August 2023 on the basis of a single specimen, MUVP 501. The specimen consists of an incomplete skull found alongside both mandibles, the hyoid, and some of the first vertebrae of the neck. The remains stem from the Fayum Depression of Egypt, which is well known for its rich record of early whales. More specifically, the bones of ''Tutcetus'' stem from the Sath El-Hadid Formation, which dates to the early Bartonian (ca. 41 mya). The name ''Tutcetus'' is a reference to the pharaoh Tutankhamun, also known as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saghacetus
''Saghacetus'' is an extinct genus of basilosaurid early whale, fossils of which have been found in the Upper Eocene (middle Priabonian, ) Qasr el Sagha Formation, Egypt (, paleocoordinates ). Discovery In 1879, German botanist Georg August Schweinfurth spent many years exploring Africa and eventually discovered the first archaeocete whale in Egypt. He visited Qasr el Sagha in 1884 and 1886 and missed the now famous " Zeuglodon Valley" with a few kilometres. German palaeontologist Wilhelm Barnim Dames described the material, including a well-preserved dentary which is the type specimen of ''Zeuglodon osiris''. The generic name ''Saghacetus'' was established by to group the ancient species ''Dorudon osiris'', ''D. zitteli'', ''D. sensitivius'' and ''D. elliotsmithii'' on a single species, ''Saghacetus osiris''. This species is distinguished from other members of the subfamily Dorudontinae by its smaller size and the slightly elongated proximal lumbar and caudal vertebrae. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Georgiacetus
''Georgiacetus'' is an extinct genus of ancient whale known from the Eocene period of the United States. Fossils are known from Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi and protocetid fossils from the right time frame, but not yet confirmed as ''Georgiacetus'', have been found in Texas () and South Carolina (). created a new clade, Pelagiceti, for the common ancestor of Basilosauridae and all of its descendants, including Neoceti, the living cetaceans. He placed ''Georgiacetus'' near the base of this clade together with '' Eocetus'' and perhaps ''Babiacetus'' because of the assumed presence of a fluke and very compressed posterior caudal vertebrae in these genera. ''Georgiacetus'' is an extinct protocetid (early whale) which lived about and hunted the rich, Suwannee Current powered coastal sea which once covered the Southeastern United States. This was during the earliest Bartonian Stage of the Eocene Epoch (). Current research puts ''Georgiacetus'' as the link between the proto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cetacea
Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively carnivorous diet. They propel themselves through the water with powerful up-and-down movements of their tail, which ends in a paddle-like fluke, using their flipper-shaped forelimbs to steer. While the majority of cetaceans live in marine environments, a small number reside solely in brackish water, brackish or fresh water. Having a cosmopolitan distribution, they can be found in some rivers and all of Earth's oceans, and many species migrate throughout vast ranges with the changing of the seasons. Cetaceans are famous for cetacean intelligence, their high intelligence, complex social behaviour, and the enormous size of some of the group's members. For example, the blue whale reaches a maximum confirmed length of and a weight of 173 tonne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
