Mesocetus

Mesocetus [1] is an extinct genus of baleen whale from the Miocene of Antwerp, Belgium.

Mesocetus
Temporal range: Miocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Superfamily: Balaenopteroidea
Family: †Tranatocetidae
Genus: †Mesocetus
van Beneden, 1880
Species
  • M. longirostris van Beneden, 1880 (type)

Description

Mesocetus is similar to other tranatocetids in having rostral bones that override the frontals and contact the parietals, nasals dividing the maxillae on the vertex, a dorsoventrally bent occipital shield with a more horizontal anterior portion and more vertical posterior portion, and a tympanic bulla with short, narrow anterior portion with rounded or squared anterior end and wider and higher posterior portion that is particularly swollen in the posteroventral area. Shared characters with Tranatocetus include posterior ends of premaxillae fused with the maxillae and divided on the vertex by long, narrow and high (vertical plate-like) nasals and cervical vertebrae with wide transverse foramina, almost as wide as the centra.[2]

Species
  • Mesocetus agrami Van Beneden, 1886;[3] known from late Miocene (late Serravallian) of the Balkans.
  • Mesocetus aquitanicus Flot, 1896[4]
  • Mesocetus hungaricus Kadic, 1907[5]
  • Mesocetus longirostris van Beneden, 1880 (type);[6]
  • Mesocetus pinguis van Beneden, 1880;[6] nomen dubium
  • Mesocetus siphunculus Cope, 1895[7]

Formerly assigned to Mesocetus

References
  1. Steeman, M. E. (2010). "The extinct baleen whale fauna from the Miocene-Pliocene of Belgium and the diagnostic cetacean ear bones". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 8 (1): 63–80. doi:10.1080/14772011003594961. OCLC 694418047.
  2. Gol’din P, Steeman ME (2015) From Problem Taxa to Problem Solver: A New Miocene Family, Tranatocetidae, Brings Perspective on Baleen Whale Evolution. PLoS ONE 10(9): e0135500. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0135500
  3. P. J. Van Beneden. 1886. Une baleine fossile de Croatie, appartenant au genre Mesocete. Memoires de L'Academie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique 45:1-29
  4. L. Flot. 1896. Not sure les Cetaces fossiles de l Aquitaine. Bulletin de la Societe geologique de France 24(3):270-282
  5. O. Kadic. 1907. Mesocetus hungaricus Kadic, Eine neue balaenopteridenart aus dem Miozan von Borbolya in Ungarn. Sonderabdruck aus den Mitteilungen aus dem Jahrbuche der Kgl. Ungarischen Geologiscen Anstalt 16:21-92
  6. P. J. Van Beneden. 1880. Les mysticetes a courts fanons des sables des environs d'anvers. Bulletins de L'Academie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique 1880:11-27
  7. E. D. Cope. 1895. Fourth contribution to the marine fauna of the Miocene period of the United States. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 34:135-155


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