Echovenator

Echovenator
Temporal range: Late Oligocene, 28.4–23.0 Ma
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Artiodactyla
Infraorder:Cetacea
Family:†Xenorophidae
Genus:†Echovenator
Churchill et al., 2016
Type species
Echovenator sandersi
Churchill et al., 2016

Echovenator ("echolocation hunter") is a genus of primitive odontocete from late Oligocene (Chattian) marine deposits in South Carolina belonging to Xenorophidae.

Description and paleobiology

Echovenator is distinguishable from other xenorophids in having a paranaris fossa and fused fronto-nasal and maxillo-premaxillary sutures.[1] The earbone structure shows that this odontocete was clearly capable of echolocation.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Morgan Churchill; Manuel Martinez-Caceres; Christian de Muizon; Jessica Mnieckowski; Jonathan H. Geisler (2016). "The Origin of High-Frequency Hearing in Whales". Current Biology. in press. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.06.004.
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