Killer sperm whale:a new basal physeteroid (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Late Miocene of Italy
Zygophyseter varolai, a new genus and species of Physeteroidea (Cetacea, Odontoceti), is based on an almost complete skeleton from the Late Miocene (Tortonian) in southern Italy. The extreme elongation of the zygomatic process of the squamosal and the circular supracranial basin (probably for housin...
Published in: | Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11568/205766 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00228.x |
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ftunivpisairis:oai:arpi.unipi.it:11568/205766 2024-04-21T08:06:30+00:00 Killer sperm whale:a new basal physeteroid (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Late Miocene of Italy BIANUCCI, GIOVANNI LANDINI, WALTER Bianucci, Giovanni Landini, Walter 2006 STAMPA http://hdl.handle.net/11568/205766 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00228.x eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/000240146200002 volume:148 issue:1 firstpage:103 lastpage:132 numberofpages:30 journal:ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY http://hdl.handle.net/11568/205766 doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00228.x info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-33748356283 Cetacea Physeteroidea Miocene Italy info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2006 ftunivpisairis https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00228.x 2024-03-28T01:28:08Z Zygophyseter varolai, a new genus and species of Physeteroidea (Cetacea, Odontoceti), is based on an almost complete skeleton from the Late Miocene (Tortonian) in southern Italy. The extreme elongation of the zygomatic process of the squamosal and the circular supracranial basin (probably for housing the spermaceti organ) delimited by a peculiar anterior projection of the supraorbital process of the right maxilla are the most distinctive features of this bizarre sperm whale. Large body size, large teeth present in both lower and upper jaw, and anteroposteriorly elongated temporal fossa and zygomatic process of the squamosal indicate that this cetacean (for which we suggest the English common name killer sperm whale) was an active predator adapted to feeding on large prey, similarly to the extant killer whale (Orcinus orca). A phylogenetic analysis reveals that Zygophyseter belongs to a Middle-Late Miocene clade of basal physeteroids, together with Naganocetus (new genus for the type of 'Scaldicetus' shigensis). Moreover, the phylogenetic analysis shows evidence of a wide physeteroid radiation during the Miocene and that the extant Physeter and Kogia belong to two distinct families that form a clade representing the crown-group Physeteroidea. Article in Journal/Newspaper Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Sperm whale Killer whale ARPI - Archivio della Ricerca dell'Università di Pisa Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 148 1 103 131 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
ARPI - Archivio della Ricerca dell'Università di Pisa |
op_collection_id |
ftunivpisairis |
language |
English |
topic |
Cetacea Physeteroidea Miocene Italy |
spellingShingle |
Cetacea Physeteroidea Miocene Italy BIANUCCI, GIOVANNI LANDINI, WALTER Killer sperm whale:a new basal physeteroid (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Late Miocene of Italy |
topic_facet |
Cetacea Physeteroidea Miocene Italy |
description |
Zygophyseter varolai, a new genus and species of Physeteroidea (Cetacea, Odontoceti), is based on an almost complete skeleton from the Late Miocene (Tortonian) in southern Italy. The extreme elongation of the zygomatic process of the squamosal and the circular supracranial basin (probably for housing the spermaceti organ) delimited by a peculiar anterior projection of the supraorbital process of the right maxilla are the most distinctive features of this bizarre sperm whale. Large body size, large teeth present in both lower and upper jaw, and anteroposteriorly elongated temporal fossa and zygomatic process of the squamosal indicate that this cetacean (for which we suggest the English common name killer sperm whale) was an active predator adapted to feeding on large prey, similarly to the extant killer whale (Orcinus orca). A phylogenetic analysis reveals that Zygophyseter belongs to a Middle-Late Miocene clade of basal physeteroids, together with Naganocetus (new genus for the type of 'Scaldicetus' shigensis). Moreover, the phylogenetic analysis shows evidence of a wide physeteroid radiation during the Miocene and that the extant Physeter and Kogia belong to two distinct families that form a clade representing the crown-group Physeteroidea. |
author2 |
Bianucci, Giovanni Landini, Walter |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
BIANUCCI, GIOVANNI LANDINI, WALTER |
author_facet |
BIANUCCI, GIOVANNI LANDINI, WALTER |
author_sort |
BIANUCCI, GIOVANNI |
title |
Killer sperm whale:a new basal physeteroid (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Late Miocene of Italy |
title_short |
Killer sperm whale:a new basal physeteroid (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Late Miocene of Italy |
title_full |
Killer sperm whale:a new basal physeteroid (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Late Miocene of Italy |
title_fullStr |
Killer sperm whale:a new basal physeteroid (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Late Miocene of Italy |
title_full_unstemmed |
Killer sperm whale:a new basal physeteroid (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Late Miocene of Italy |
title_sort |
killer sperm whale:a new basal physeteroid (mammalia, cetacea) from the late miocene of italy |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11568/205766 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00228.x |
genre |
Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Sperm whale Killer whale |
genre_facet |
Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Sperm whale Killer whale |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/000240146200002 volume:148 issue:1 firstpage:103 lastpage:132 numberofpages:30 journal:ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY http://hdl.handle.net/11568/205766 doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00228.x info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-33748356283 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2006.00228.x |
container_title |
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |
container_volume |
148 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
103 |
op_container_end_page |
131 |
_version_ |
1796945901354221568 |