Biology:Dhedacetus

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Short description: Genus of mammals

Dhedacetus
Temporal range: Middle Eocene, 48.6–40.4 Ma
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Protocetidae
Genus: Dhedacetus
Bajpai and Thewissen, 2014
Species:
D. hyaeni
Binomial name
Dhedacetus hyaeni
Bajpai and Thewissen, 2014

Dhedacetus hyaeni is a protocetid cetacean from the middle Eocene (late Lutetian, 42 mya). It is the only species in the genus Dhedacetus.[1] The type specimen was recovered from the Indian Harudi Formation near the town of Dhedadi, Kutch.[2]

Description

Only one skull and some vertebra are known.[3] D. hyaeni is the smallest protocetid from Kutch. Its premolars and molars are about the same size as in other protocetids such as Babiacetus, Rodhocetus and Maiacetus. It has a long, broad snout and high ocular orbits.[4][5]

The genus name comes from the town close by and the species name comes from a local hyena.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Sunil Bajpai; J.G.M. Thewissen (2014). "Protocetid cetaceans (Mammalia) from the Eocene of India". Palaeontologia Electronica 17 (3, 34A): 19 p. http://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2014/914-whales-from-india. Retrieved 2019-03-06. 
  2. "Dhedacetus hyaeni". http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=308496. 
  3. Thewissen, J. G. M. (2014-11-13). The Walking Whales: From Land to Water in Eight Million Years. p. 163. ISBN 9780520277069. 
  4. Berta, Annalisa (2017-10-29). The Rise of Marine Mammals: 50 Million Years of Evolution. p. 159. ISBN 9781421423265. 
  5. Marx, Felix G.; Lambert, Olivier; Uhen, Mark D. (2016-03-29). Cetacean Paleobiology. p. 100. ISBN 9781118561362. 

Wikidata ☰ Q65080528 entry