Taikicetus

Taikicetus is a genus of basal thalassothere baleen whale from the Middle Miocene of Japan.

Taikicetus
Temporal range: Middle Miocene,
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Genus: †Taikicetus
Tanaka, Ando, and Sawamura, 2018
Species:
†T. inouei
Binomial name
†Taikicetus inouei
Tanaka, Ando, and Sawamura, 2018

Classification

Phylogenetic analysis recovers Taikicetus as a basal thalassothere more primitive than Cetotheriidae and Balaenopteroidea.[1]

Description

Taikicetus is distinguished from other closely related thalassotheres by an anteriorly swollen short zygomatic process (length vs width of the zygomatic process; high triangular coronoid process; and weak angular process, which does not reach as far posterior as the mandibular condyle; outline of suture between maxillae and palatines forming a posteriorly pointing V-shape, convex lateral edge of supraoccipital convex in dorsal view, tip of postglenoid process in lateral view pointing ventrally, and outline of postglenoid process distinctly wider than high in anterior or posterior view.[1]

References
  1. Tanaka Y, Ando T, Sawamura H. (2018) A new species of Middle Miocene baleen whale from the Nupinai Group, Hikatagawa Formation of Hokkaido, Japan. PeerJ 6:e4934 doi:10.7717/peerj.4934
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