Natchitochia

Nat-che-to-che-ah.
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Emerson Winslow

Paleoichthyologist

Emerson Winslow delves into the underwater world of prehistoric fish, uncovering the mysteries of early marine life. His discoveries have enhanced understanding of vertebrate evolution in aquatic environments.

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Name

Natchitochia ‭(‬named after the city of Natchitoches‭)‬.

Phonetic

Nat-che-to-che-ah.

Named By

M.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Uhen‭ ‬-‭ ‬1998.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Cetacea,‭ ‬Archaeoceti,‭ ‬Protocetidae.

Diet

Carnivore/Piscivore.

Species

N.‭ ‬jonesi‭

Size

Unknown due to lack of remains.

Known locations

USA,‭ ‬Louisiana‭ ‬-‭ ‬Cook Mountain Formation.

Time Period

Bartonian of the Eocene.

Fossil representation

Partial ribs and vertebrae.

In Depth

       Natchitochia is a genus of protocetid whale that lived in waters around North America during the mid-Eocene.‭ ‬Though only known from a few vertebrae and partial ribs,‭ ‬it is known that Natchitochia would have been similar to genera such as Eocetus,‭ ‬Pappocetus and Protocetus.‭ ‬Comparison to the vertebrae of Eocetus and the ribs of Pappocetus indicate that the holotype individual of Natchitochia would have been smaller than these genera

Further Reading

-‭ ‬New protocetid‭ (‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Cetacea‭) ‬from the late middle Eocene Cook Mountain Formation of Louisiana.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology‭ ‬18‭(‬3‭)‬:664-668.‭ ‬-‭ ‬M.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Uhen‭ ‬-‭ ‬1998.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT