In Depth Eomysticetus is a genus of very primitive baleen whale that is known to have swum in waters off the South Eastern coast of the United States of America. Rather than conical teeth, Eomysticetus had baleen, keratin (the same biological material that your hair and nails are made from) formed like the bristles of … Read more
In Depth Orycterocetus was one of the many predatory whales that swam in the Miocene oceans with included Acrophyseter, Livyatan and Zygophyseter among others. Orycterocetus also has a connection with the whale Aulophyseter on the basis that some of the fossil material attributed to Aulophyseter bears similarities to fossil material from Orycterocetus. This has brought … Read more
In Depth Piscobalaena is a genus of filter feeding whale known to have inhibited the waters between South and North America during the Miocene. This seaway was a popular transit route for whales swimming from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific and back again. It was also fraught with danger however as giant sharks, including … Read more
In Depth Although only known from teeth, these have confirmed that Kogiopsis is an extinct sperm whale. The teeth of Kogiopsis had crowns that were between three and five centimetres long, and may have been used against other marine mammals such as smaller whales. The teeth of Kogiopsis are often available to buy through fossil … Read more
In Depth Originally named in 2016 as Matapa, it was later discovered that the name Matapa had already been used to name a genus of butterfly. Therefore later in 2016, a new name, Matapanui was established for the genus. Matapanui is a genus of whale and a kind that was a precursor to the baleen … Read more
In Depth Eocetus was first named by Eberhard Fraas in 1904, but at first as Mesocetus schweinfurthi. It soon came to the attention of Fraas however that the name Mesocetus was already in use, so he instead created the genus name Eocetus for his specimen. Known as a protocetid whale, and hence relative to genera … Read more
In Depth Platalearostrum is an extinct genus of dolphin that lived in the waters of what is now the North Sea. The first fossils of Platalearostrum were dredged up by a fishing trawler, and they show us that Platalearostrum probably had a balloon shaped head. Further Reading - A new dolphin (Cetacea, Delphinidae) from the … Read more
In Depth Tohoraata is a genus of whale that lived in the waters around New Zealand during the Oligocene. A former species of Mauicetus, M. waitakiensis, has now been named as a second species of Tohoraata. Further Reading - A new eomysticetid (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the Late Oligocene of New Zealand and re-evaluation of ‘Mauicetus’ … Read more
In Depth When you translate the full name of Acrophyseter deinodon into English you end up with ‘acute sperm whale terrible teeth’. The genus part of ‘acute sperm whale’ is a reference to the upturned bend in the jaws, suggesting that Acrophyseter may have approached prey from below. The species name deinodon, or ‘terrible teeth’ … 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