Ashorocetus

Ashorocetus is a monotypic genus of an extinct primitive baleen whale of the family Aetiocetidae. It was named by Barnes et al. 1995, and contains one species, A. eguchii. Fossils of this whale are found from the Chattian Morawan formation, near Ashoro, of upper Oligocene (28.4 to 23.03 million years ago) Hokkaido, Japan (43.3°N 143.8°E / 43.3; 143.8, paleocoordinates 44.6°N 141.4°E / 44.6; 141.4).[1][2] Ashorocetus eguchii was described based on a partial skull and is named after the type locality and Kenichiro Eguchi of the Ashoro Museum of Paleontology.[3]

Ashorocetus
Temporal range: Oligocene,
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: †Aetiocetidae
Genus: †Ashorocetus
Barnes et al. 1995
Species

†A. eguchii (type)
Barnes et al. 1995

Description

Barnes et al. 1995 described four new aetiocetid species, of whom Ashorocetus eguchii was the most primitive. It has a neatly telescoped skull and is closely related to Chonecetus, another primitive aetiocetid. Barnes et al. also described Morawanocetus yabukii, a more derived species with a foreshortened braincase, intermediate between Chonecetus and Aetiocetus; Aetiocetus tomitai, the most primitive Aetiocetus discovered; and Aetiocetus polydentatus, the most derived Aetiocetus with a highly telescoped cranium and both homodont and polydont dentition. Barnes et al. also proposed three subfamilies for Aetiocetidae (Chonecetinae, Morawanocetinae, and Aetiocetinae) to reflect this proposed evolution within the family.[4] The placement of A. polydentatus in Aetiocetus has, however, been questioned, as has the monophyly (and therefore the proposed subfamilies) of Aetiocetidae.[5]

Sister taxa

References

Notes
  1. "Ashorocetus". Fossilworks. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  2. "Morawan (Kamirawan Sandstone Member) (Oligocene of Japan)". Fossilworks. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  3. "Ashorocetus eguchii". Paleocritti. Retrieved 31 December 2013. (including an illustration of the holotype)
  4. Barnes et al. 1995, Abstract
  5. Deméré & Berta 2008, pp. 308–309

Sources


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