A stem delphinidan from the Caribbean region of Venezuela
Abstract The dense Miocene record of cetaceans is known from localities along the coasts of all continents, mostly in the northern Atlantic or the eastern Pacific regions, but Antarctica. Fossils from the Caribbean region are few and include of a couple of findings from Panama and Venezuela. Here, w...
Published in: | Swiss Journal of Palaeontology |
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2021
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13358-021-00217-z http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13358-021-00217-z.pdf http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13358-021-00217-z/fulltext.html |
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crspringernat:10.1186/s13358-021-00217-z 2023-05-15T14:10:17+02:00 A stem delphinidan from the Caribbean region of Venezuela Benites-Palomino, Aldo Reyes-Cespedes, Andres E. Aguirre-Fernández, Gabriel Sánchez, Rodolfo Carrillo-Briceño, Jorge D. Sánchez-Villagra, Marcelo R. Swiss National Science Foundation 2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13358-021-00217-z http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13358-021-00217-z.pdf http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13358-021-00217-z/fulltext.html en eng Springer Science and Business Media LLC https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 CC-BY Swiss Journal of Palaeontology volume 140, issue 1 ISSN 1664-2376 1664-2384 Paleontology journal-article 2021 crspringernat https://doi.org/10.1186/s13358-021-00217-z 2022-01-04T10:32:42Z Abstract The dense Miocene record of cetaceans is known from localities along the coasts of all continents, mostly in the northern Atlantic or the eastern Pacific regions, but Antarctica. Fossils from the Caribbean region are few and include of a couple of findings from Panama and Venezuela. Here, we report a partly complete skull from the Caujarao Formation (middle Miocene), Falcon State, Caribbean region of Venezuela. Our phylogenetic analyses indicate that the Caujarao specimen is a ‘stem delphinidan’, a group that includes several taxa of early diverging odontocetes whose phylogenetic affinities remain a matter of debate. The fossil record has shown that this group of stem delphinidans was taxonomically diverse, but displayed a somewhat homogeneous cranial patterning, with most of the variations being found within the mandible or tympanoperiotic characters. As other stem delphinidans the Caujarao odontocete displays an enlarged temporal fossa and a fairly symmetrical cranium. Because the skull is missing several key diagnostic characters due to the preservation state of the specimen, a more precise taxonomic identification is not possible. Despite this, the finding of this specimen highlights the importance of the fossil record from the Neogene of Venezuela, and the importance of the area to understand cetacean evolution in the proto-Caribbean. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Springer Nature (via Crossref) Fossa ENVELOPE(9.795,9.795,62.990,62.990) Pacific Swiss Journal of Palaeontology 140 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Springer Nature (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
crspringernat |
language |
English |
topic |
Paleontology |
spellingShingle |
Paleontology Benites-Palomino, Aldo Reyes-Cespedes, Andres E. Aguirre-Fernández, Gabriel Sánchez, Rodolfo Carrillo-Briceño, Jorge D. Sánchez-Villagra, Marcelo R. A stem delphinidan from the Caribbean region of Venezuela |
topic_facet |
Paleontology |
description |
Abstract The dense Miocene record of cetaceans is known from localities along the coasts of all continents, mostly in the northern Atlantic or the eastern Pacific regions, but Antarctica. Fossils from the Caribbean region are few and include of a couple of findings from Panama and Venezuela. Here, we report a partly complete skull from the Caujarao Formation (middle Miocene), Falcon State, Caribbean region of Venezuela. Our phylogenetic analyses indicate that the Caujarao specimen is a ‘stem delphinidan’, a group that includes several taxa of early diverging odontocetes whose phylogenetic affinities remain a matter of debate. The fossil record has shown that this group of stem delphinidans was taxonomically diverse, but displayed a somewhat homogeneous cranial patterning, with most of the variations being found within the mandible or tympanoperiotic characters. As other stem delphinidans the Caujarao odontocete displays an enlarged temporal fossa and a fairly symmetrical cranium. Because the skull is missing several key diagnostic characters due to the preservation state of the specimen, a more precise taxonomic identification is not possible. Despite this, the finding of this specimen highlights the importance of the fossil record from the Neogene of Venezuela, and the importance of the area to understand cetacean evolution in the proto-Caribbean. |
author2 |
Swiss National Science Foundation |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Benites-Palomino, Aldo Reyes-Cespedes, Andres E. Aguirre-Fernández, Gabriel Sánchez, Rodolfo Carrillo-Briceño, Jorge D. Sánchez-Villagra, Marcelo R. |
author_facet |
Benites-Palomino, Aldo Reyes-Cespedes, Andres E. Aguirre-Fernández, Gabriel Sánchez, Rodolfo Carrillo-Briceño, Jorge D. Sánchez-Villagra, Marcelo R. |
author_sort |
Benites-Palomino, Aldo |
title |
A stem delphinidan from the Caribbean region of Venezuela |
title_short |
A stem delphinidan from the Caribbean region of Venezuela |
title_full |
A stem delphinidan from the Caribbean region of Venezuela |
title_fullStr |
A stem delphinidan from the Caribbean region of Venezuela |
title_full_unstemmed |
A stem delphinidan from the Caribbean region of Venezuela |
title_sort |
stem delphinidan from the caribbean region of venezuela |
publisher |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13358-021-00217-z http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13358-021-00217-z.pdf http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13358-021-00217-z/fulltext.html |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(9.795,9.795,62.990,62.990) |
geographic |
Fossa Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Fossa Pacific |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica |
op_source |
Swiss Journal of Palaeontology volume 140, issue 1 ISSN 1664-2376 1664-2384 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13358-021-00217-z |
container_title |
Swiss Journal of Palaeontology |
container_volume |
140 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1766282341760630784 |