Sperm whales from the Miocene of the North Sea: a re-appraisal
A review of the sperm whales (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Physeteroidea) from the Miocene of the southern margin of the North Sea Basin is undertaken, mostly based on the cranial material of the area of Antwerp (north of Belgium) described for the first time by P.-J. Van Beneden, B. A. L. du Bus, and O. Ab...
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ftvliz:oai:oma.vliz.be:220113 2023-05-15T17:59:28+02:00 Sperm whales from the Miocene of the North Sea: a re-appraisal Lambert, O. 2008 application/pdf https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/252491.pdf en eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/000268953700017 https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/252491.pdf info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess iBull.+Kon.+Belg.+Inst.+Natuurwet.+Aardwet.++Bull.+-+Inst.+r.+sci.+nat.+Belg.+Sci.+Terre+78i+277-316 Miocene [mammals] Odontoceti [toothed whales] Physeteroidea Belgium Antwerpen Edegem Mortsel Nijlen info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2008 ftvliz 2022-05-01T09:50:58Z A review of the sperm whales (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Physeteroidea) from the Miocene of the southern margin of the North Sea Basin is undertaken, mostly based on the cranial material of the area of Antwerp (north of Belgium) described for the first time by P.-J. Van Beneden, B. A. L. du Bus, and O. Abel more than a century ago. This work leads to the detailed redescription of the species Eudelphis mortezelensis, Physeterula dubusi, Placoziphius duboisi, and Thalassocetus antwerpiensis , the identification in the North Sea Basin of the eastern North American species Orycterocetus crocodilinus , and the description of a new undetermined physeterid. The stratigraphic information associated to some of these Miocene taxa is refined ( E. mortezelensis, O. crocodilinus , and P. duboisi ), whereas a more important incertitude persists for others. These results further emphasize the physeteroid diversity during the Miocene. The performed phylogenetic analysis places Eudelphis as the most basal stem-physeteroid, displaying the most salient features of the superfamily (supracranial basin, strong asymmetry of the bony nares and premaxillae) but retaining enamel on teeth and a rather conservative skull morphology (deep maxillary alveoli, large left pre-maxillary foramen, distinct falciform process of the squamosal.). Together with Orycterocetus, Placoziphius is provisionally kept outside the family Physeteridae, defined as the clade grouping all the physeteroids more closely related to Physeter than to Kogia . The large species Physeterula dubusi is the most stemward physeterid, retaining functional upper teeth lacking enamel. Among the physeterids the new undetermined taxon is sister-group to the clade Aulophyseter + Physeter , sharing with these two genera the preorbital process distinctly lower than the lateral margin of the rostrum base. With a sagittal crest in its supracranial basin the small Thalassocetus antwerpiensis is confirmed as an archaic kogiid. The evolutionary history of the supracranial basin and the oral apparatus are discussed. The parsimony analysis suggests that the spermaceti organ remained small in the supracranial basin of most physeteroids, the basin probably functioning as a parabolic structure for reflecting and focusing the echolocative sounds. It is proposed that the spermaceti organ only considerable increased in size in the lineage of the Recent species Physeter macrocephalus , possibly as a sexually dimorphic sound transmitting organ. Preceded by the loss of enamel, the reduction of the upper dentition associated to a decrease of the size of the temporal fossa occurred in parallel in the physeterids and the kogiids, much likely related to a major change in diet and food processing. Article in Journal/Newspaper Physeter macrocephalus toothed whales Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Open Marine Archive (OMA) Nares ENVELOPE(158.167,158.167,-81.450,-81.450) Fossa ENVELOPE(9.795,9.795,62.990,62.990) Beneden ENVELOPE(-62.700,-62.700,-64.767,-64.767) Van Beneden ENVELOPE(-62.700,-62.700,-64.767,-64.767) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Open Marine Archive (OMA) |
op_collection_id |
ftvliz |
language |
English |
topic |
Miocene [mammals] Odontoceti [toothed whales] Physeteroidea Belgium Antwerpen Edegem Mortsel Nijlen |
spellingShingle |
Miocene [mammals] Odontoceti [toothed whales] Physeteroidea Belgium Antwerpen Edegem Mortsel Nijlen Lambert, O. Sperm whales from the Miocene of the North Sea: a re-appraisal |
topic_facet |
Miocene [mammals] Odontoceti [toothed whales] Physeteroidea Belgium Antwerpen Edegem Mortsel Nijlen |
description |
A review of the sperm whales (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Physeteroidea) from the Miocene of the southern margin of the North Sea Basin is undertaken, mostly based on the cranial material of the area of Antwerp (north of Belgium) described for the first time by P.-J. Van Beneden, B. A. L. du Bus, and O. Abel more than a century ago. This work leads to the detailed redescription of the species Eudelphis mortezelensis, Physeterula dubusi, Placoziphius duboisi, and Thalassocetus antwerpiensis , the identification in the North Sea Basin of the eastern North American species Orycterocetus crocodilinus , and the description of a new undetermined physeterid. The stratigraphic information associated to some of these Miocene taxa is refined ( E. mortezelensis, O. crocodilinus , and P. duboisi ), whereas a more important incertitude persists for others. These results further emphasize the physeteroid diversity during the Miocene. The performed phylogenetic analysis places Eudelphis as the most basal stem-physeteroid, displaying the most salient features of the superfamily (supracranial basin, strong asymmetry of the bony nares and premaxillae) but retaining enamel on teeth and a rather conservative skull morphology (deep maxillary alveoli, large left pre-maxillary foramen, distinct falciform process of the squamosal.). Together with Orycterocetus, Placoziphius is provisionally kept outside the family Physeteridae, defined as the clade grouping all the physeteroids more closely related to Physeter than to Kogia . The large species Physeterula dubusi is the most stemward physeterid, retaining functional upper teeth lacking enamel. Among the physeterids the new undetermined taxon is sister-group to the clade Aulophyseter + Physeter , sharing with these two genera the preorbital process distinctly lower than the lateral margin of the rostrum base. With a sagittal crest in its supracranial basin the small Thalassocetus antwerpiensis is confirmed as an archaic kogiid. The evolutionary history of the supracranial basin and the oral apparatus are discussed. The parsimony analysis suggests that the spermaceti organ remained small in the supracranial basin of most physeteroids, the basin probably functioning as a parabolic structure for reflecting and focusing the echolocative sounds. It is proposed that the spermaceti organ only considerable increased in size in the lineage of the Recent species Physeter macrocephalus , possibly as a sexually dimorphic sound transmitting organ. Preceded by the loss of enamel, the reduction of the upper dentition associated to a decrease of the size of the temporal fossa occurred in parallel in the physeterids and the kogiids, much likely related to a major change in diet and food processing. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lambert, O. |
author_facet |
Lambert, O. |
author_sort |
Lambert, O. |
title |
Sperm whales from the Miocene of the North Sea: a re-appraisal |
title_short |
Sperm whales from the Miocene of the North Sea: a re-appraisal |
title_full |
Sperm whales from the Miocene of the North Sea: a re-appraisal |
title_fullStr |
Sperm whales from the Miocene of the North Sea: a re-appraisal |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sperm whales from the Miocene of the North Sea: a re-appraisal |
title_sort |
sperm whales from the miocene of the north sea: a re-appraisal |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/252491.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(158.167,158.167,-81.450,-81.450) ENVELOPE(9.795,9.795,62.990,62.990) ENVELOPE(-62.700,-62.700,-64.767,-64.767) ENVELOPE(-62.700,-62.700,-64.767,-64.767) |
geographic |
Nares Fossa Beneden Van Beneden |
geographic_facet |
Nares Fossa Beneden Van Beneden |
genre |
Physeter macrocephalus toothed whales |
genre_facet |
Physeter macrocephalus toothed whales |
op_source |
iBull.+Kon.+Belg.+Inst.+Natuurwet.+Aardwet.++Bull.+-+Inst.+r.+sci.+nat.+Belg.+Sci.+Terre+78i+277-316 |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/000268953700017 https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/252491.pdf |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
_version_ |
1766168296979169280 |