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Article Pygmy Sperm Whales Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology e1135806 (10 pages) Ó by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1135806 ARTICLE PYGMY SPERM WHALES (ODONTOCETI, KOGIIDAE) FROM THE PLIOCENE OF FLORIDA AND NORTH CAROLINA JORGE VELEZ-JUARBE,* ,1,2,3 AARON R. WOOD,2,4 and CATALINA PIMIENTO2,5,6 1Department of Mammalogy, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90007, U.S.A., [email protected]; 2Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida 32611, U.S.A.; 3Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560, U.S.A.; 4Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, U.S.A., [email protected]; 5Paleontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, CH-8006, Switzerland, pimientoc@ufl.edu; 6Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Box 2072, Balboa, Panama ABSTRACT—We describe fossil kogiid periotics from the Lower Pliocene upper Bone Valley Formation in central Florida and the Lower to Upper Pliocene Yorktown Formation at Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina. The fossils show diagnostic characters that identify them as belonging to Kogiidae, such as three spines in the anterior process, presence of an incudal process, and a posterior process oriented along the long axis of the bone. Morphological comparisons and morphometric and statistical analyses of periotic proportions confirm the presence of a large and a small morphotype within the sample. The large morphotype (mean length D 39.76 mm) belongs to an unknown kogiid that occurs in both formations, whereas the small morphotype (mean length D 28.64 mm), referred to aff. Kogia sp., occurs only in the Yorktown Formation. The cooccurrence of two taxa in North Carolina may represent one of the earliest evidences of sympatry in kogiids and may demonstrate that this ecological behavior has been part of the natural history of this group at least since the deposition of the Yorktown Formation at Lee Creek (»4.8–3.1 Ma). In addition, the occurrence of the large morphotype in the upper Bone Valley Formation, herein reported for the first time, shows that we are still far from understanding the diversity of marine mammals of that formation and that revision of newly acquired material is necessary. SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVP Citation for this article: Velez-Juarbe, J., A. R. Wood, and C. Pimiento. 2016. Pygmy sperm whales (Odontoceti, Kogiidae) from the Pliocene of Florida and North Carolina. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1135806. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology INTRODUCTION true absences or the result of sampling bias. New discoveries and additions to these taxonomic lists will enhance our knowledge of The Palmetto Fauna of the upper Bone Valley Formation in early Pliocene marine mammal communities, ultimately allowing Florida and the Yorktown Formation at Lee Creek Mine in us to better understand changes in mammal diversity in deep- North Carolina are considered two of the most diverse Pliocene time and their biogeographic implications. marine mammal deposits (Morgan, 1994; Tedford et al., 2004; During a recent revision of the fossil material from the upper Ward and Bohaska, 2008). Identification of material from these Bone Valley Formation at the Florida Museum of Natural His- formations is usually based on diagnostic cranial material, pri- tory, the senior author of this work (JVJ) noted the presence of marily skulls, mandibles, and ear bones (e.g., periotics), and, to a kogiid periotics, which have not been previously reported from lesser extent, postcranial elements (e.g., Kazar and Bohaska, this formation. Though kogiid periotics are known from the 2008). The marine mammal fauna of the upper Bone Valley For- Yorktown Formation at Lee Creek (Luo and Marsh, 1996; Whit- mation was reviewed by Morgan (1994), who listed a total of 17 more and Kaltenbach, 2008), they are in need of detailed revi- taxa that included cetaceans, sirenians, and pinnipeds. In addi- sion. Here we describe kogiid periotics from both the Palmetto tion, Whitmore and Kaltenbach (2008), Kohno and Ray (2008), Fauna (5–4.7 Ma: Morgan, 1994; Webb et al., 2008) of the Lower and Koretsky and Ray (2008) revised the cetaceans and pinni- Pliocene upper Bone Valley Formation in central Florida and peds of the Yorktown Formation at Lee Creek where they listed from the slightly younger Lower to Upper Pliocene (»4.8– a total of 34 taxa. 3.1 Ma: Snyder et al., 1983) Yorktown Formation at Lee The Bone Valley and Yorktown formations share taxa at a Creek Mine, North Carolina. Furthermore, by using traditional higher taxonomic level; however, they also present many unique morphological comparisons, morphometric observations, and occurrences (Appendix 1). Because of the inherent uncertainties statistical analyses, we identify two different cooccurring mor- of the fossil record, these unique occurrences could be either photypes at Lee Creek Mine. The presence and cooccurrence of these morphotypes potentially provide evidence of earliest record of sympatry in kogiids, showing that this type of biogeo- *Corresponding author. Color versions of one or more of the figures in this article can be found graphic distribution has been part of the natural history of this online at www.tandfonline.com/ujvp. group at least since the Pliocene. Velez-Juarbe et al.—Neogene kogiids from Florida and North Carolina (e1135806-2) Institutional and Age Abbreviations—ChM VP, Charleston Hemphillian NALMA]). Yorktown Formation; Lower–Upper Museum, Charleston, South Carolina; LACM, Vertebrate Pale- Pliocene (»4.8–3.1 Ma: middle Zanclean–early Piacenzian ontology Collection, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles [Blancan NALMA]). County, Los Angeles, CA, USA; NALMA, North American Description—Anterior process very short, relative to pars Land Mammal Age; UF, Vertebrate Paleontology and Mammal- cochlearis; its apex or distal end consists of a pair (anterodorsal ogy Collections, Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH), and anteroventral) of low, usually blunt spines (Figs. 1, 2), which University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA; USNM, together with the dorsal spine are typically found in kogiids Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural His- (Muizon, 1988). The dorsal surface of the anterior process is tory, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA. rugose and, when viewed anterolaterally, it has a square outline. Measurement Abbreviations—LPP, length of posterior pro- A large, fused, accessory ossicle occupies a concavity (fovea epi- cess; MLP, maximum length of periotic; MWP, maximum width tubaria) on the medial surface of the anterior process (Figs. 1, of periotic across cochlear portion; PTA, proximal thickness of 2). An anteroexternal sulcus is absent. the periotic anterior process. The lateral (ventrolateral) tuberosity is located lateral to the Extant Specimens Examined—Kogia breviceps Blainville, mallear fossa; it is low (»2 mm), blunt, and subtriangular to oval 1838 (UF 13562, 14213, 14214, 17532, 18702, 18704, 19128, 25545; in outline; its smooth surface indicates that the lateral tuberosity USNM 504902, 504921). Kogia sima Owen, 1866 (UF 18705, did not contact the sigmoid process of the tympanic bulla as it 18706, 24629, 25573, 25575–25578). does in Physeter and Zarhachis (Luo and Marsh, 1996). The hia- tus epitympanicus is short and shallow, with some specimens showing little to no break between that surface and the posterior SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY bullar facet. The articulation with the incus is marked by a raised MAMMALIA Linnaeus, 1758 circular area, the incudal process (Fig. 1E–H), located toward CETACEA Brisson, 1762 the medial extent of the hiatus epitympanicus; this raised area ODONTOCETI Flower, 1867 contrasts with the fossa observed in other odontocetes but is typi- PAN-PHYSETEROIDEA Velez-Juarbe, Wood, De Gracia, cal of kogiids (Luo and Marsh, 1996). A deep (»2 mm), round and Hendy, 2015 (»4 mm in diameter) mallear fossa is located posterior to the PHYSETEROIDEA Gray, 1821 accessory ossicle and medial to the lateral tuberosity. A shallow KOGIIDAE Gill, 1871 groove extends along the posterior and posteromedial borders of KOGIIDAE gen. et sp. indet. the mallear fossa in some specimens (e.g., UF 203525). The pars (Figs. 1, 2; Tables 1, S2, 3) cochlearis has a rounded outline in ventral view. The fenestra Kogiinae incertae sedis, Whitmore and Kaltenbach, 2008:235 (in rotunda is located on the posteroventral surface of the pars coch- part). learis; it is large (»5 mm high by 3 mm wide) and separated by 4 mm from the small (»2 mm in diameter), posterodorsally Referred Specimens—Ninety-nine isolated left periotics: located perilymphatic foramen (D cochlear aqueduct). LACM 37258, 37260, 37262; UF 132958, 132967, 135934, 201842, The posterior process is oriented posteriorly along the long 203144, 203164, 203525; USNM 26287, 182949, 182961, 251083, axis as the rest of the bone; it is large relative to the total size 251084, 251089, 251093, 251101–251103, 251105, 251109–251111, of the periotic, with a posterior bullar facet that is, on average, 251113, 251117, 251119, 251121, 251123, 251125, 251133, 251136, about 40% of the total length of the periotic and has a total 251144–251147, 251149, 314779, 328219, 328222, 328223, 328225, width that equals about 70% of the maximum width of the 328238, 328240,
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