Ashorocetus

Ash-o-roe-see-tus.
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Harper Gray

Paleoartist

Harper Grey combines artistic talent with scientific precision to bring extinct creatures and environments back to life. Collaborating closely with paleontologists

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Name

Ashorocetus ‭(‬Ashoro whale‭)‬.

Phonetic

Ash-o-roe-see-tus.

Named By

L.‭ ‬G.‭ ‬Barnes,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Kimura,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Furusawa‭ & ‬H.‭ ‬Sawamura‭ ‬-‭ ‬1995.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Cetacea,‭ ‬Mysticeti,‭ ‬Aetiocetidae.

Diet

Filter feeder‭?

Species

A.‭ ‬eguchii‭

Size

Unknown.

Known locations

Japan,‭ ‬Hokkaido‭ ‬-‭ ‬Morawan Formation,‭ ‬Kamirawan Sandstone Member.

Time Period

Chattian of the Oligocene.

Fossil representation

Partial skull remains.

In Depth

       Unfortunately still only known from very incomplete remains,‭ ‬Ashorocetus was an early baleen whale.‭ ‬Relatives of Ashorocetus include Aetiocetus and Willungacetus.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Classification and distribution of Oligocene Aetiocetidae‭ (‬Mammalia‭; ‬Cetacea‭; ‬Mysticeti‭) ‬from western North America and Japan‭ ‬-‭ ‬L.‭ ‬G.‭ ‬Barnes,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Kimura,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Furusawa‭ & ‬H.‭ ‬Sawamura‭ ‬-‭ ‬1995.

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