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 whales of today. At the time of writing however the lack of available fossils for Matapanui make it difficult to establish how this whale genus fed.
Further Reading
- A new eomysticetid from the Oligocene Kokoamu Greensand of New Zealand and a review of the Eomysticetidae (Mammalia, Cetacea). - Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. - R. W. Boessenecker & R. E. Fordyce - 2016. - Matapanui, a replacement name for Matapa Boessenecker & Fordyce, 2016. - Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. - R. W. Boessenecker & R. E. Fordyce - 2016.
