Systematic revision of the Miocene long-snouted dolphin Eurhinodelphis longirostris DU BUS, 1872 (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Eurhinodelphinidae)

On the basis of the redescription of Miocene Belgian specimens, the systematic status of the long-snouted dolphin genus Schizodelphis (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Eurhinodelphinidae) is revised. The only Belgian species previously recognized, S. longirostris , from the late early to middle Miocene of Antwe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Lambert, O.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2004
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/255058.pdf
Description
Summary:On the basis of the redescription of Miocene Belgian specimens, the systematic status of the long-snouted dolphin genus Schizodelphis (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Eurhinodelphinidae) is revised. The only Belgian species previously recognized, S. longirostris , from the late early to middle Miocene of Antwerp (north of Belgium, southern margin of the North Sea basin), is divided here in two taxa. Some specimens are kept in that species, but re-establishing the combination Eurhinodelphis longirostris . The content of the genus Eurhinodelphis is then investigated from several Miocene localities, essentially the Calvert Formation (Virginia and Maryland, east coast of USA) and the Belluno Sandstones from north-eastern Italy. The only recognized species are E. cocheteuxi and E. longirostris , both of them only found in the Belgian Miocene. Other previously described species are placed in an unnamed new genus, in Mycteriacelus n. gen., and in Ziphiodelphis . The other Belgian specimens are maintained in Schizodelphis, with the prioritary species name morckhoviensis . The species S. morckhoviensis is also identified in the Calvert Formation, while a restricted S. barnesi is tentatively diagnosed from American specimens.