A new species of Middle Miocene baleen whale from the Nupinai Group, Hikatagawa Formation of Hokkaido, Japan

A fossil whale from the Hikatagawa Formation (Middle Miocene, 15.2–11.5 Ma) of Hokkaido, Japan is described as a new genus and species Taikicetus inouei and its phylogenetic position is examined. Consistent with the result of Marx, Lambert & de Muizon (2017), the Cetotheriidae form a clade with...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PeerJ
Main Authors: Yoshihiro Tanaka, Tatsuro Ando, Hiroshi Sawamura
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: PeerJ Inc. 2018
Subjects:
Fossil
Baleen whale
New genus
New species
Mysticeti
Medicine
R
Biology (General)
QH301-705.5
baleen whale
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4934
https://doaj.org/article/3f73a32c72a640eb91d1b38ab0303079
Description
Summary:A fossil whale from the Hikatagawa Formation (Middle Miocene, 15.2–11.5 Ma) of Hokkaido, Japan is described as a new genus and species Taikicetus inouei and its phylogenetic position is examined. Consistent with the result of Marx, Lambert & de Muizon (2017), the Cetotheriidae form a clade with the Balaenopteroidea, and “a clade comprising Isanacetus, Parietobalaena and related taxa” is located basal to the Balaenopteroidea + Cetotheriidae clade. Taikicetus inouei is placed in the clade with most of members of “Cetotheres” sensu lato comprising Isanacetus, Parietobalaena and related taxa. Taikicetus inouei can be distinguished from the other members of “Cetotheres” sensu lato in having an anteriorly swollen short zygomatic process, high triangular coronoid process, and angular process, which does not reach as far posterior as the mandibular condyle. Taikicetus inouei is only record of “Cetotheres” sensu lato from Hokkaido, Japan and the northern-most records of “Cetotheres” sensu lato in Japan.

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