In Depth Morawanocetus is a genus of whale that is known to have lived in the waters around what is now Japan as well as California in the USA during the Oligocene. These discoveries indicate that Morawanocetus was widespread across the Pacific Ocean. As a member of the Aetiocetidae, Morawanocetus, would have been a relative … Read more
In Depth Fucaia is a genus of aetiocetid whale known to have lived in the waters of the Pacific North-West during the early Oligocene. A former species of Chonecetus, C. goedertorum, is now reassigned as belonging to the Fucaia genus. Further Reading - A new Early Oligocene toothed ‘baleen’ whale (Mysticeti: Aetiocetidae) from western North … Read more
In Depth Salishicetus is a genus of toothed baleen whale that lived during the Oligocene period. Further Reading – Salishicetus meadi, a new aetiocetid from the late Oligocene of Washington State and implications for feeding transitions in early mysticete evolution. - Royal Society Open Science 5(4):172336. - C. M. Peredo & N. D. Pyenson - … Read more
In Depth Chonecetus is a whale genus that is usually attributed to the Aetiocetidae a group of primitive ancestors of Baleen whales. There has however been speculation that Chonecetus might be a member of the Archaeoceti, a more ancient group of toothed predatory whales that included genera such as Dorudon and Basilosaurus. If the latter … Read more
In Depth Willungacetus is both the oldest whale known from Australia, and the only member of the Aetiocetidae whale group. Willungacetus may have had teeth like other early whales, but other members of the group like Chonecetus had begun to develop baleen at roughly the same time that Willungacetus was swimming the oceans. Further fossil … Read more