Echericetus novellus n. gen. n. sp. (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eomysticetidae), an Oligocene baleen whale from Baja California Sur, Mexico
Abstract Among the several evolutionary lineages of the baleen whales (Mysticeti), the eomysticetids are an ancient successful family that retain possibly nonfunctional teeth and functional baleen, a transitional stage between toothed and baleen-assisted filter-feeding mysticetes. The patchy fossil...
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Language: | English |
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2023
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2023.80 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S002233602300080X |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/jpa.2023.80 2024-05-19T07:38:00+00:00 Echericetus novellus n. gen. n. sp. (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eomysticetidae), an Oligocene baleen whale from Baja California Sur, Mexico Hernández-Cisneros, Atzcalli Ehécatl Schwennicke, Tobias Rochín-Bañaga, Heriberto Tsai, Cheng-Hsiu Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2023.80 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S002233602300080X en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Journal of Paleontology volume 97, issue 6, page 1309-1328 ISSN 0022-3360 1937-2337 journal-article 2023 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2023.80 2024-05-02T06:51:16Z Abstract Among the several evolutionary lineages of the baleen whales (Mysticeti), the eomysticetids are an ancient successful family that retain possibly nonfunctional teeth and functional baleen, a transitional stage between toothed and baleen-assisted filter-feeding mysticetes. The patchy fossil record leaves gaps in eomysticetid paleobiology interpretations, but their diversity and widespread geographical distribution can be a relevant proxy to understanding the evolution of crown Mysticeti. Here we describe a new baleen whale, Echericetus novellus n. gen. n. sp., from the Oligocene of Mexico (slightly older than 27.95 million years ago). This new taxon has morphological features that show its affinity to Eomysticetidae, such as the intertemporal region longer than wide, the elongate and oval temporal fossa, and a well-developed and lobate coronoid process of the mandible. Similarly, our cladistic analyses confirm the inclusion of Echericetus in the Eomysticetidae. Echericetus reinforces our notion of the eomysticetid diversity and disparity. Geographically, the existence of Echericetus from Mexico also indicates that eomysticetid inhabited subtropical regions in the Northern Hemisphere. Last, our discovery of a new eomysticetid from the Oligocene of Mexico provides new insights into the distribution patterns and habitat use of Eomysticetidae, essential to further explain the demise of this transitional lineage between toothed and baleen-bearing whales. UUID: http://zoobank.org/00cfc802-e2da-465c-9bb6-59347be00164 Article in Journal/Newspaper baleen whale baleen whales Cambridge University Press Journal of Paleontology 1 20 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Among the several evolutionary lineages of the baleen whales (Mysticeti), the eomysticetids are an ancient successful family that retain possibly nonfunctional teeth and functional baleen, a transitional stage between toothed and baleen-assisted filter-feeding mysticetes. The patchy fossil record leaves gaps in eomysticetid paleobiology interpretations, but their diversity and widespread geographical distribution can be a relevant proxy to understanding the evolution of crown Mysticeti. Here we describe a new baleen whale, Echericetus novellus n. gen. n. sp., from the Oligocene of Mexico (slightly older than 27.95 million years ago). This new taxon has morphological features that show its affinity to Eomysticetidae, such as the intertemporal region longer than wide, the elongate and oval temporal fossa, and a well-developed and lobate coronoid process of the mandible. Similarly, our cladistic analyses confirm the inclusion of Echericetus in the Eomysticetidae. Echericetus reinforces our notion of the eomysticetid diversity and disparity. Geographically, the existence of Echericetus from Mexico also indicates that eomysticetid inhabited subtropical regions in the Northern Hemisphere. Last, our discovery of a new eomysticetid from the Oligocene of Mexico provides new insights into the distribution patterns and habitat use of Eomysticetidae, essential to further explain the demise of this transitional lineage between toothed and baleen-bearing whales. UUID: http://zoobank.org/00cfc802-e2da-465c-9bb6-59347be00164 |
author2 |
Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hernández-Cisneros, Atzcalli Ehécatl Schwennicke, Tobias Rochín-Bañaga, Heriberto Tsai, Cheng-Hsiu |
spellingShingle |
Hernández-Cisneros, Atzcalli Ehécatl Schwennicke, Tobias Rochín-Bañaga, Heriberto Tsai, Cheng-Hsiu Echericetus novellus n. gen. n. sp. (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eomysticetidae), an Oligocene baleen whale from Baja California Sur, Mexico |
author_facet |
Hernández-Cisneros, Atzcalli Ehécatl Schwennicke, Tobias Rochín-Bañaga, Heriberto Tsai, Cheng-Hsiu |
author_sort |
Hernández-Cisneros, Atzcalli Ehécatl |
title |
Echericetus novellus n. gen. n. sp. (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eomysticetidae), an Oligocene baleen whale from Baja California Sur, Mexico |
title_short |
Echericetus novellus n. gen. n. sp. (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eomysticetidae), an Oligocene baleen whale from Baja California Sur, Mexico |
title_full |
Echericetus novellus n. gen. n. sp. (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eomysticetidae), an Oligocene baleen whale from Baja California Sur, Mexico |
title_fullStr |
Echericetus novellus n. gen. n. sp. (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eomysticetidae), an Oligocene baleen whale from Baja California Sur, Mexico |
title_full_unstemmed |
Echericetus novellus n. gen. n. sp. (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Eomysticetidae), an Oligocene baleen whale from Baja California Sur, Mexico |
title_sort |
echericetus novellus n. gen. n. sp. (cetacea, mysticeti, eomysticetidae), an oligocene baleen whale from baja california sur, mexico |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2023.80 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S002233602300080X |
genre |
baleen whale baleen whales |
genre_facet |
baleen whale baleen whales |
op_source |
Journal of Paleontology volume 97, issue 6, page 1309-1328 ISSN 0022-3360 1937-2337 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2023.80 |
container_title |
Journal of Paleontology |
container_start_page |
1 |
op_container_end_page |
20 |
_version_ |
1799477399357751296 |