A Link No Longer Missing: New Evidence for the Cetotheriid Affinities of Caperea.
The origins of the enigmatic pygmy right whale Caperea marginata, the only living member of its subfamily (Neobalaeninae), are an outstanding mystery of cetacean evolution. Its strikingly disparate morphology sets Caperea apart from all other whales, and has turned it into a wildcard taxon that hold...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:991a45a7d92649229478c02ae76a716e 2023-05-15T15:36:56+02:00 A Link No Longer Missing: New Evidence for the Cetotheriid Affinities of Caperea. Felix G Marx R Ewan Fordyce 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0164059 https://doaj.org/article/991a45a7d92649229478c02ae76a716e EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5053404?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0164059 https://doaj.org/article/991a45a7d92649229478c02ae76a716e PLoS ONE, Vol 11, Iss 10, p e0164059 (2016) Medicine R Science Q article 2016 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0164059 2022-12-31T04:07:25Z The origins of the enigmatic pygmy right whale Caperea marginata, the only living member of its subfamily (Neobalaeninae), are an outstanding mystery of cetacean evolution. Its strikingly disparate morphology sets Caperea apart from all other whales, and has turned it into a wildcard taxon that holds the key to understanding modern baleen whale diversity. Morphological cladistics generally ally this species with right whales, whereas molecular analyses consistently cluster it with rorquals and grey whales (Balaenopteroidea). A recent study potentially resolved this conflict by proposing that Caperea belongs with the otherwise extinct Cetotheriidae, but has been strongly criticised on morphological grounds. Evidence from the neobalaenine fossil record could potentially give direct insights into morphological transitions, but is currently limited to just a single species: the Late Miocene Miocaperea pulchra, from Peru. We show that Miocaperea has a highly unusual morphology of the auditory region, resulting from a-presumably feeding-related-strengthening of the articulation of the hyoid apparatus with the skull. This distinctive arrangement is otherwise only found in the extinct Cetotheriidae, which makes Miocaperea a "missing link" that demonstrates the origin of pygmy right whales from cetotheriids, and confirms the latter's resurrection from the dead. Article in Journal/Newspaper baleen whale Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles PLOS ONE 11 10 e0164059 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
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Medicine R Science Q Felix G Marx R Ewan Fordyce A Link No Longer Missing: New Evidence for the Cetotheriid Affinities of Caperea. |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
The origins of the enigmatic pygmy right whale Caperea marginata, the only living member of its subfamily (Neobalaeninae), are an outstanding mystery of cetacean evolution. Its strikingly disparate morphology sets Caperea apart from all other whales, and has turned it into a wildcard taxon that holds the key to understanding modern baleen whale diversity. Morphological cladistics generally ally this species with right whales, whereas molecular analyses consistently cluster it with rorquals and grey whales (Balaenopteroidea). A recent study potentially resolved this conflict by proposing that Caperea belongs with the otherwise extinct Cetotheriidae, but has been strongly criticised on morphological grounds. Evidence from the neobalaenine fossil record could potentially give direct insights into morphological transitions, but is currently limited to just a single species: the Late Miocene Miocaperea pulchra, from Peru. We show that Miocaperea has a highly unusual morphology of the auditory region, resulting from a-presumably feeding-related-strengthening of the articulation of the hyoid apparatus with the skull. This distinctive arrangement is otherwise only found in the extinct Cetotheriidae, which makes Miocaperea a "missing link" that demonstrates the origin of pygmy right whales from cetotheriids, and confirms the latter's resurrection from the dead. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Felix G Marx R Ewan Fordyce |
author_facet |
Felix G Marx R Ewan Fordyce |
author_sort |
Felix G Marx |
title |
A Link No Longer Missing: New Evidence for the Cetotheriid Affinities of Caperea. |
title_short |
A Link No Longer Missing: New Evidence for the Cetotheriid Affinities of Caperea. |
title_full |
A Link No Longer Missing: New Evidence for the Cetotheriid Affinities of Caperea. |
title_fullStr |
A Link No Longer Missing: New Evidence for the Cetotheriid Affinities of Caperea. |
title_full_unstemmed |
A Link No Longer Missing: New Evidence for the Cetotheriid Affinities of Caperea. |
title_sort |
link no longer missing: new evidence for the cetotheriid affinities of caperea. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0164059 https://doaj.org/article/991a45a7d92649229478c02ae76a716e |
genre |
baleen whale |
genre_facet |
baleen whale |
op_source |
PLoS ONE, Vol 11, Iss 10, p e0164059 (2016) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5053404?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0164059 https://doaj.org/article/991a45a7d92649229478c02ae76a716e |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0164059 |
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PLOS ONE |
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