Inermorostrum

Inermorostrum
Temporal range: Late Oligocene, 30 Ma
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Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Artiodactyla
Infraorder:Cetacea
Family:†Xenorophidae
Genus:†Inermorostrum
Boessenecker et al., 2017
Type species
Inermorostrum xenops
Boessenecker et al., 2017

Inermorostrum is a genus of primitive odontocete from early Oligocene (Rupelian) marine deposits in South Carolina belonging to the family Xenorophidae.

Description and biology

Inermorostrum is largely distinguished from other xenorophiids in having a greatly reduced rostrum devoid of functional teeth. The short, toothless rostrum is unusual for early odontocetes, showing that Inermorostrum mostly preyed on squids and other marine invertebrates by means of suction-feeding.[1]

References

  1. ↑ Robert W. Boessenecker, Danielle Fraser, Morgan Churchill and Jonathan H. Geisler. 2017. A Toothless Dwarf Dolphin (Odontoceti: Xenorophidae) Points to Explosive Feeding Diversification of Modern Whales (Neoceti). Proceedings of the Royal Society B. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0531
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