A new species of Metopocetus (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Cetotheriidae) from the Late Miocene of the Netherlands
The family Cetotheriidae has played a major role in recent discussions of baleen whale phylogenetics. Within this group, the enigmatic, monotypic Metopocetus durinasus has been interpreted as transitional between herpetocetines and other members of the family, but so far has been restricted to a sin...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:6968f4f6d18e42b88df2fd30087a5e5d 2024-01-07T09:42:21+01:00 A new species of Metopocetus (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Cetotheriidae) from the Late Miocene of the Netherlands Felix Georg Marx Mark E.J. Bosselaers Stephen Louwye 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1572 https://doaj.org/article/6968f4f6d18e42b88df2fd30087a5e5d EN eng PeerJ Inc. https://peerj.com/articles/1572.pdf https://peerj.com/articles/1572/ https://doaj.org/toc/2167-8359 doi:10.7717/peerj.1572 2167-8359 https://doaj.org/article/6968f4f6d18e42b88df2fd30087a5e5d PeerJ, Vol 4, p e1572 (2016) Mysticeti Baleen whales Cetotheriidae Metopocetus Phylogenetics Paroccipital concavity Medicine R Biology (General) QH301-705.5 article 2016 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1572 2023-12-10T01:53:53Z The family Cetotheriidae has played a major role in recent discussions of baleen whale phylogenetics. Within this group, the enigmatic, monotypic Metopocetus durinasus has been interpreted as transitional between herpetocetines and other members of the family, but so far has been restricted to a single, fragmentary cranium of uncertain provenance and age. Here, we expand the genus and shed new light on its phylogenetic affinities and functional morphology by describing Metopocetus hunteri sp. nov. from the Late Miocene of the Netherlands. Unlike the holotype of M. durinasus, the material described here is confidently dated and preserves both the tympanic bulla and additional details of the basicranium. M. hunteri closely resembles M. durinasus, differing primarily in its somewhat less distally expanded compound posterior process of the tympanoperiotic. Both species are characterised by the development of an unusually large fossa on the ventral surface of the paroccipital process, which extends anteriorly on to the compound posterior process and completely floors the facial sulcus. In life, this enlarged fossa may have housed the posterior sinus and/or the articulation of the stylohyal. Like other cetotheriids, Metopocetus also bears a well-developed, posteriorly-pointing dorsal infraorbital foramen near the base of the ascending process of the maxilla, the precise function of which remains unclear. Article in Journal/Newspaper baleen whale baleen whales Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Fossa ENVELOPE(9.795,9.795,62.990,62.990) PeerJ 4 e1572 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Mysticeti Baleen whales Cetotheriidae Metopocetus Phylogenetics Paroccipital concavity Medicine R Biology (General) QH301-705.5 |
spellingShingle |
Mysticeti Baleen whales Cetotheriidae Metopocetus Phylogenetics Paroccipital concavity Medicine R Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Felix Georg Marx Mark E.J. Bosselaers Stephen Louwye A new species of Metopocetus (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Cetotheriidae) from the Late Miocene of the Netherlands |
topic_facet |
Mysticeti Baleen whales Cetotheriidae Metopocetus Phylogenetics Paroccipital concavity Medicine R Biology (General) QH301-705.5 |
description |
The family Cetotheriidae has played a major role in recent discussions of baleen whale phylogenetics. Within this group, the enigmatic, monotypic Metopocetus durinasus has been interpreted as transitional between herpetocetines and other members of the family, but so far has been restricted to a single, fragmentary cranium of uncertain provenance and age. Here, we expand the genus and shed new light on its phylogenetic affinities and functional morphology by describing Metopocetus hunteri sp. nov. from the Late Miocene of the Netherlands. Unlike the holotype of M. durinasus, the material described here is confidently dated and preserves both the tympanic bulla and additional details of the basicranium. M. hunteri closely resembles M. durinasus, differing primarily in its somewhat less distally expanded compound posterior process of the tympanoperiotic. Both species are characterised by the development of an unusually large fossa on the ventral surface of the paroccipital process, which extends anteriorly on to the compound posterior process and completely floors the facial sulcus. In life, this enlarged fossa may have housed the posterior sinus and/or the articulation of the stylohyal. Like other cetotheriids, Metopocetus also bears a well-developed, posteriorly-pointing dorsal infraorbital foramen near the base of the ascending process of the maxilla, the precise function of which remains unclear. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Felix Georg Marx Mark E.J. Bosselaers Stephen Louwye |
author_facet |
Felix Georg Marx Mark E.J. Bosselaers Stephen Louwye |
author_sort |
Felix Georg Marx |
title |
A new species of Metopocetus (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Cetotheriidae) from the Late Miocene of the Netherlands |
title_short |
A new species of Metopocetus (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Cetotheriidae) from the Late Miocene of the Netherlands |
title_full |
A new species of Metopocetus (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Cetotheriidae) from the Late Miocene of the Netherlands |
title_fullStr |
A new species of Metopocetus (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Cetotheriidae) from the Late Miocene of the Netherlands |
title_full_unstemmed |
A new species of Metopocetus (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Cetotheriidae) from the Late Miocene of the Netherlands |
title_sort |
new species of metopocetus (cetacea, mysticeti, cetotheriidae) from the late miocene of the netherlands |
publisher |
PeerJ Inc. |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1572 https://doaj.org/article/6968f4f6d18e42b88df2fd30087a5e5d |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(9.795,9.795,62.990,62.990) |
geographic |
Fossa |
geographic_facet |
Fossa |
genre |
baleen whale baleen whales |
genre_facet |
baleen whale baleen whales |
op_source |
PeerJ, Vol 4, p e1572 (2016) |
op_relation |
https://peerj.com/articles/1572.pdf https://peerj.com/articles/1572/ https://doaj.org/toc/2167-8359 doi:10.7717/peerj.1572 2167-8359 https://doaj.org/article/6968f4f6d18e42b88df2fd30087a5e5d |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1572 |
container_title |
PeerJ |
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4 |
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e1572 |
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1787423318438051840 |