Otekaikea

O-tek-ay-ke-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

Otekaikea.

Phonetic

O-tek-ay-ke-ah.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Cetacea,‭ ‬Odontoceti.

Diet

Carnivore/Piscivore.

Species

O.‭ ‬marplesi‭

Size

Unavailable.

Known locations

New Zealand.

Time Period

Chattian of the Oligocene.

Fossil representation

Partial skulls.

In Depth

       With the type species originally described as a species of Prosqualodon,‭ ‬Otekaikea became a recognised genus of toothed whale in‭ ‬2015.‭ ‬Otekaikea is considered to be very similar to the genus Waipatia.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Fossil dolphin Otekaikea marplesi‭ (‬Latest Oligocene,‭ ‬New Zealand‭) ‬expands the morphological and taxonomic diversity of Oligocene cetaceans.‭ ‬-‭ ‬PLoS One‭ ‬9‭(‬9‭)‬:e107972.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Y.‭ ‬Tanaka‭ & ‬R.‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Fordyce‭ ‬-‭ ‬2014. – A new Oligo-Miocene dolphin from New Zealand: Otekaikea huata expands diversity of the early Platanistoidea. Palaeontologia Electronica 18.2.23A: – Yoshihiro Tanaka & R. Ewan Fordyce – 2015.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT