DOCSLIB.ORG

An Early Miocene Long-Snouted Marine Platanistid Dolphin (Mammalia, Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Korneuburg Basin (Austria)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Early Miocene Long-Snouted Marine Platanistid Dolphin (Mammalia, Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Korneuburg Basin (Austria) ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Beiträge zur Paläontologie Jahr/Year: 2002 Band/Volume: 27 Autor(en)/Author(s): Barnes Lawrence G. Artikel/Article: An Early Miocene long-snouted marine platanistid dolphin (Mammalia, Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Korneuburg Basin (Austria) 407-418 ©Verein zur Förderung der Paläontologie am Institut für Paläontologie, Geozentrum Wien Beitr. Paläont., 27: 407-418, Wien 2002 An Early Miocene long-snouted marine platanistid dolphin (Mammalia, Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Korneuburg Basin (Austria) by Lawrence G. Barnes * B arnes , L. G. (2002): An Early Miocene long-snouted marine platanistid dolphin (Mammalia, Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Korneuburg Basin (Austria). — Beitr. Palaont. 27: 407-418, 2 Abb., Wien. Abstract mily Platanistidae. Unique characters that define the sub­ The dolphin family Platanistidae is represented by relati­ family Platanistinae include an anteroposteriorly lengthe­ vely common fossils from Miocene marine deposits of ned zygomatic process of the squamosal, transversely the Northern Hemisphere, but is today represented only flattened rostrum and symphyseal portion of the man­ by the living dolphins called the susus, members of the dible, a large pneumaticized supraorbital crest, and nu­ merous other derived characters. genus Platanista Wagler , 1830, which live in fresh wa­ ter environments of southeast Asia. A new genus and spe­ cies of marine long-snouted platanistid dolphin, Prepo- matodelphis korneuburgensis, is represented by a well- Zusammenfassung preserved skull from the Karpatian (latest Early Miocene) of Fossile Delphine aus der Familie der Platanistidae sind in Teiritzberg in the Korneuburg Basin, Austria. This dolphin miozänen marinen Sedimenten der nördlichen Hemisphä­ shares with other members of the family Platanistidae re relativ häufig. Rezent existiert jedoch nur mehr eine such cranial characters as the lateral lamina of the ptery­ ausschließlich im Süßwasser lebende Gattung, der goid bone in the ventromedial part of the orbit, a long and Ganges-Delphin {Platanista Wagler , 1830), der in Sü­ slender rostrum with an anteroposteriorly aligned groove dostasien beheimatet ist. Eine neue Gattung und Art on either side following the maxilla/premaxilla suture, eines marinen platanistiden Delphins aus dem Karpatium and a dorsoventrally expanded zygomatic process of the (Untermiozän) des Korneuburger Beckens (Teiritzberg; squamosal which has an enlarged and medially-directed Österreich), die durch einen gut erhaltenen Schädel belegt glenoid fossa. Its closest relationships are with members ist, wird im folgenden beschrieben. Zu den nächsten Ver­ of the extinct Miocene platanistid genera Pomatodelphis wandten zählen die ausgestorbenen miozänen Gattungen Allen , 1921, and Zarhachis Cope, 1868, with whom it Pomatodelphis Allen , 1921 und Zarhachis Cope, 1868, shares a dorsoventrally flattened rostrum and dorsoven­ die ebenfalls ein dorsoventral abgeflachtes Rostrum und trally flattened symphyseal portion of the mandible, but einen dorsoventral abgeflachten symphysealen Bereich from whom it differs by lacking a thickened supraorbital der Mandibel aufweisen. Im Gegensatz zu den beiden ge­ process and by having a thickened border on its lambdoi- nannten Gattungen fehlt bei dem Fund aus dem Korneu­ dal crest. burger Becken unter anderem der verdickte supraorbitale Two subfamilies can now be recognized within the fami­ Fortsatz. ly Platanistidae. The new subfamily Pomatodelphininae Innerhalb der Familie der Platanistidae können zwei Un­ includes the Northern Hemisphere genera Prepomatodel- terfamilien unterschieden werden: Die neu eingeführte phis, new genus (Early Miocene, Austria), Pomatodel­ Unterfamilie Pomatodelphininae umfaßt die in der nörd­ phis (Middle and Late Miocene, France, Florida), and lichen Hemisphäre verbreiteten Gattungen Prepoma- Zarhachis (Middle Miocene, Maryland). Members of the todelphis (Untermiozän, Österreich), Pomatodelphis subfamily Pomatodelphininae can be identified by their (Mittelmiozän und Obermiozän; Frankreich, Florida) und dorsoventrally flattened rostra and symphyseal portions Zarhachis (Mittelmiozän, Maryland). Die Unterfamilie of their mandibles. The subfamily Platanistinae, used Platanistinae wird neu definiert und umfaßt nur mehr die here in a new context, includes only the Recent genus rezente Gattung Platanista. Platanista. It shares with members of the subfamily Po­ matodelphininae an elongate and pointed anterior process on the tympanic bulla, a lateral lamina of the pterygoid Schlüsselwörter bone in the orbit, and other characters that define the fa­ Cetacea - Platanistidae - Pomatodelphininae - Prepoma- todelphis korneuburgensis, neue Gattung und neue Art - * Anschrift d. Verf.: Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, De­ Karpatium - Untermiozän - Korneuburger Becken - partment of Vertebrate Paleontology, Natural History Muse­ Österreich um of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, 90007, U. S. A. ©Verein zur Förderung der Paläontologie am Institut für Paläontologie, Geozentrum Wien 408 Beitr. Palàont., 27, Wien 2002 Key words 1998). The cranium of this specimen demonstrates the Cetacea - Platanistidae - Pomatodelphininae - Komeu- diagnostic characteristics of the family Platanistidae, and burg Basin - Austria - Miocene - Prepomatodelphis kor- its completeness allows a confident identification of the neuburgensis - new genus and species specimen. It is the purpose of this paper to report on this new skull of a platanistid dolphin, to identify it and name it as a new taxon, to comment on its relationships, and to Introduction make some new observations of the morphology and some changes in the systematics of the platanistid odontocetes The Odontoceti are the clade of echolocating toothed to which it is related. The geology of the area in which the whales. Several different lineages of long-snouted, dol­ specimen was found has been documented by W essely phin-like odontocetes evolved during the Middle and La­ (1998). te Tertiary (B arnes et al., 1985), and their fossils are re­ latively common and widespread in various parts of the world, especially in Miocene marine deposits. Ironically, Material and Methods such long-snouted dolphins, which are among some of the earliest cetacean fossils to have been studied by pa­ Institutional abbreviations are as follows: leontologists, continue to confront researchers with many CAS Division of Birds and Mammals, California problems relating to their identification and relationships. Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, Some of these long-snouted dolphins are members of the U. S. A. odontocete family Platanistidae, and their fossils have MCZ Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard been reported from Europe and from North America. College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U. S. A. The family Platanistidae is classified in a higher category of NHMW Natural History Museum, Vienna, Austria. Odontoceti, the superfamily Platanistoidea, within which are also included other families of early and relatively primi­ UMMP Museum of Paleontology, University of Michi­ tive odontocetes that represent several clades of diverse dol- gan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U. S. A. phin-like animals. Known from the Late Oligocene to the USNM Department of Paleobiology, United States Recent, platanistoid odontocetes have the same geochrono- National Museum of Natural History, Smithso­ logic range as do the typical, modem, pelagic delphinoid nian Institution, Washington D. C., U. S. A. dolphins that are classified within such families as the Ken- triodontidae, Albireonidae, Delphinidae, Phocoenidae, and Millions of years ago is abbreviated Ma. Illustrations of Monodontidae (Barnes , 1977, 1984, 1997; Fordyce and the skull were made with the axis of the rostrum in a hori­ Barnes , 1994; Fordyce et al., 1995). zontal or vertical plane in all views to achieve standard The superfamily Delphinoidea increased in abundance orientation. and taxonomic diversity during middle and later Ceno- The comparisons made in this study were based on the zoic time, in both marine and fresh water environments. following specimens and sources: Conversely, the superfamily Platanistoidea, which also The holotype of the Middle Miocene (Helvetian correla­ originated in marine environments and approximately at tive) Pomatodelphis stenorhychus (Holl, 1829), from the same time, decreased in abundance and diversity France (which in some publications was referred to and through the later Cenozoic. Platanistoids survive now on­ illustrated under its junior synonym Delphinus renovi ly as one relict fresh water genus, Platanista Wagler , Laurillard , 1844), is the proximal rostral part of the 1830, which includes the Recent, but extremely imperi­ right maxilla and premaxilla. It was illustrated by V an led, Ganges River dolphin, Platanista gangetica (R ox­ B eneden and Gervais (1874-1880), and I observed it in burgh , 1801) of India and Pakistan (see Hershkovitz , the Muséum Nationale d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris. No 1966). Fossil platanistoids have not yet been reported other specimens can be confidently referred to this taxon from any strictly fresh water deposits. at this time. Extremely long-snouted fossil Platanistidae, for example For comparisons with Pomatodelphis inaequalis Allen , species of the genera Pomatodelphis Allen , 1921, and 1921, I relied on the holotype and referred specimens as Zarhachis
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Arktocara Yakataga, a New Fossil Odontocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Oligocene of Alaska and the Antiquity of Platanistoidea
    Arktocara yakataga, a new fossil odontocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Oligocene of Alaska and the antiquity of Platanistoidea Alexandra T. Boersma1,2 and Nicholas D. Pyenson1,3 1 Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States of America 2 College of Extended Education, California State University, Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA, United States of America 3 Departments of Mammology and Paleontology, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, WA, United States of America ABSTRACT The diversification of crown cetacean lineages (i.e., crown Odontoceti and crown Mysticeti) occurred throughout the Oligocene, but it remains an ongoing challenge to resolve the phylogenetic pattern of their origins, especially with respect to stem lineages. One extant monotypic lineage, Platanista gangetica (the Ganges and Indus river dolphin), is the sole surviving member of the broader group Platanistoidea, with many fossil relatives that range from Oligocene to Miocene in age. Curiously, the highly threatened Platanista is restricted today to freshwater river systems of South Asia, yet nearly all fossil platanistoids are known globally from marine rocks, suggesting a marine ancestry for this group. In recent years, studies on the phylogenetic relationships in Platanistoidea have reached a general consensus about the membership of different sub-clades and putative extinct groups, although the position of some platanistoid groups (e.g., Waipatiidae) has been contested. Here we describe a new genus and species of fossil platanistoid, Arktocara yakataga, gen. et sp. nov. from the Oligocene of Alaska, USA. The type and only known specimen was collected from the marine Poul Submitted 16 May 2016 Creek Formation, a unit known to include Oligocene strata, exposed in the Yakutat Accepted 13 July 2016 City and Borough of Southeast Alaska.
    [Show full text]
  • From Peru Sheds Light on the Early Miocene Platanistoid Disparity And
    A new large squalodelphinid (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from Peru sheds light on the Early Miocene platanistoid disparity and ecology Giovanni Bianucci, Giulia Bosio, Elisa Malinverno, Christian de Muizon, Igor Villa, Mario Urbina, Olivier Lambert To cite this version: Giovanni Bianucci, Giulia Bosio, Elisa Malinverno, Christian de Muizon, Igor Villa, et al.. A new large squalodelphinid (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from Peru sheds light on the Early Miocene platanis- toid disparity and ecology. Royal Society Open Science, The Royal Society, 2018, 5 (4), pp.172302. 10.1098/rsos.172302. hal-02611968 HAL Id: hal-02611968 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02611968 Submitted on 18 May 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Downloaded from http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/ on April 18, 2018 A new large squalodelphinid (Cetacea, rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org Odontoceti) from Peru Research sheds light on the Early Cite this article: Bianucci G, Bosio G, Miocene platanistoid Malinverno E, de Muizon C, Villa IM, Urbina M, Lambert O. 2018 A new large squalodelphinid (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from Peru sheds light on disparity and ecology the Early Miocene platanistoid disparity and 1 2 2 ecology. R. Soc.
    [Show full text]
  • An Introduction to Marine Mammals: with a Focus on India
    An Introduction to Marine Mammals: With a focus on India Mridula Srinivasan, Ph.D. Terra Marine Research Institute 2/14/2014 2013 Timi-Kurm Festival 1 Roadmap Marine Mammal Basics Why Marine Mammals are Unique Marine Mammal Types Cetaceans Cetaceans of India Studying Marine Mammals 2/14/2014 2 Mammals BASICS Nurse young Have hair Warm blooded Four-chambered heart Parental Care Lungs to breathe Same core body temperature 2/14/2014 3 Marine Mammal BASICS Nurse young Have hair Warm blooded Four-chambered heart Parental Care Lungs to breathe Same core body temperature 2/14/2014 4 Marine Mammal Basics Cont.… Gestation period range: 10-17.5 months 1 – 3 year birth interval breeding – migration (only whales) – feeding – calving – lactation – weaning – resting/playing 2/14/2014 5 Hippopotamus - Whales & Dolphins Bears - Seals Manatees & Dugongs - ELEPHANTS 2/14/2014 6 Whale Evolution VIDEO 2/14/2014 7 What makes marine mammals unique ? Breath holding (High Myoglobin) Live and reproduce for the most part in water Deep divers May drink salt water, get water from prey Longest migrations Blubber/fur (insulation) 2/14/2014 8 • Above and below water • No eyelashes • More rods then cones/some color vision http://2/14/2014cetus.ucsd.edu/voicesinthesea_org/videos/videos.html (VOICES OF THE SEA) 9 ~78 SPECIES OF WHALES, DOLPHINS, PORPOISES 2/14/2014 10 4 species (manatees and dugong) 2/14/2014 11 ~33 species of seals, sea lions, walrus 2/14/2014 12 Sea Otters Polar Bears Marine - related to weasels, Depend on ocean for food badgers,2/14/2014 river otters
    [Show full text]
  • Punjab ENVIS Centre NEWSLETTER Vol
    Punjab ENVIS Centre NEWSLETTER Vol. 11, No. 3, 2013-14 Indus River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor) : Status and Conservation in Punjab (India) l Inform ta at n io e n m S Status of Environment & Related Issues n y o s r t i e v m n E www.punenvis.nic.in INDIA EDITORIAL Dolphins are among the planet's most well known marine mammal. When we hear the word 'dolphin', what comes to mind is the endearing, intelligent bottlenose dolphin shown in movies and television shows. Though we often make the mistake of believing that there is only one kind of dolphin, there exist over 30 different types of dolphins, and including the river dolphins and porpoises, there are over 40 types of dolphins. To be precise, there are 32 types of oceanic dolphins, 5 species of river dolphins and 6 types of porpoises. Dolphins are important to the ecosystem in the sense that they are apex or top-level predators which control populations of fishes and squids and keep the ecosystem balance. They are the migratory species susceptible to a wide range of threats, including habitat shrinkage in breeding areas, excessive hunting along migration routes, and degradation of their feeding grounds. As a result of international concern over these threats, a UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory (CMS) Species of Wild Animals, also known as Bonn Convention was adopted in 1979 and entered into force on 1st November 1983, to protect dolphins along their migration routes between their feeding and breeding grounds. Bonn Convention is a unique global advocate of reducing threats to their survival as well as to the ocean and river waters where they live.
    [Show full text]
  • How to Cite Complete Issue More Information About This Article
    Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana ISSN: 1405-3322 Sociedad Geológica Mexicana, A.C. Hernández Cisneros, Atzcalli Ehécatl; González Barba, Gerardo; Fordyce, Robert Ewan Oligocene cetaceans from Baja California Sur, Mexico Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana, vol. 69, no. 1, January-April, 2017, pp. 149-173 Sociedad Geológica Mexicana, A.C. Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=94350664007 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System Redalyc More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America and the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Project academic non-profit, developed under the open access initiative Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana / 2017 / 149 Oligocene cetaceans from Baja California Sur, Mexico Atzcalli Ehécatl Hernández Cisneros, Gerardo González Barba, Robert Ewan Fordyce ABSTRACT Atzcalli Ehecatl Hernández Cisneros ABSTRACT RESUMEN [email protected] Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Univer- Baja California Sur has an import- Baja California Sur tiene un importante re- sidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, ant Cenozoic marine fossil record gistro de fósiles marinos del Cenozoico que Carretera al Sur Km 5.5, Apartado Postal which includes diverse but poorly incluye los restos poco conocidos de cetáceos 19-B, C.P. 23080, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México. known Oligocene cetaceans from del Oligoceno de México. En este estudio Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Inter- Mexico. Here we review the cetacean ofrecemos más detalles sobre estos fósiles de disciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICMAR), fossil record including new observa- cetáceos, incluyendo nuevas observaciones Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n, Col.
    [Show full text]
  • Marine Mammal Taxonomy
    Marine Mammal Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia (Animals) Phylum: Chordata (Animals with notochords) Subphylum: Vertebrata (Vertebrates) Class: Mammalia (Mammals) Order: Cetacea (Cetaceans) Suborder: Mysticeti (Baleen Whales) Family: Balaenidae (Right Whales) Balaena mysticetus Bowhead whale Eubalaena australis Southern right whale Eubalaena glacialis North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena japonica North Pacific right whale Family: Neobalaenidae (Pygmy Right Whale) Caperea marginata Pygmy right whale Family: Eschrichtiidae (Grey Whale) Eschrichtius robustus Grey whale Family: Balaenopteridae (Rorquals) Balaenoptera acutorostrata Minke whale Balaenoptera bonaerensis Arctic Minke whale Balaenoptera borealis Sei whale Balaenoptera edeni Byrde’s whale Balaenoptera musculus Blue whale Balaenoptera physalus Fin whale Megaptera novaeangliae Humpback whale Order: Cetacea (Cetaceans) Suborder: Odontoceti (Toothed Whales) Family: Physeteridae (Sperm Whale) Physeter macrocephalus Sperm whale Family: Kogiidae (Pygmy and Dwarf Sperm Whales) Kogia breviceps Pygmy sperm whale Kogia sima Dwarf sperm whale DOLPHIN R ESEARCH C ENTER , 58901 Overseas Hwy, Grassy Key, FL 33050 (305) 289 -1121 www.dolphins.org Family: Platanistidae (South Asian River Dolphin) Platanista gangetica gangetica South Asian river dolphin (also known as Ganges and Indus river dolphins) Family: Iniidae (Amazon River Dolphin) Inia geoffrensis Amazon river dolphin (boto) Family: Lipotidae (Chinese River Dolphin) Lipotes vexillifer Chinese river dolphin (baiji) Family: Pontoporiidae (Franciscana)
    [Show full text]
  • Review of Small Cetaceans. Distribution, Behaviour, Migration and Threats
    Review of Small Cetaceans Distribution, Behaviour, Migration and Threats by Boris M. Culik Illustrations by Maurizio Wurtz, Artescienza Marine Mammal Action Plan / Regional Seas Reports and Studies no. 177 Published by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). Review of Small Cetaceans. Distribution, Behaviour, Migration and Threats. 2004. Compiled for CMS by Boris M. Culik. Illustrations by Maurizio Wurtz, Artescienza. UNEP / CMS Secretariat, Bonn, Germany. 343 pages. Marine Mammal Action Plan / Regional Seas Reports and Studies no. 177 Produced by CMS Secretariat, Bonn, Germany in collaboration with UNEP Coordination team Marco Barbieri, Veronika Lenarz, Laura Meszaros, Hanneke Van Lavieren Editing Rüdiger Strempel Design Karina Waedt The author Boris M. Culik is associate Professor The drawings stem from Prof. Maurizio of Marine Zoology at the Leibnitz Institute of Wurtz, Dept. of Biology at Genova Univer- Marine Sciences at Kiel University (IFM-GEOMAR) sity and illustrator/artist at Artescienza. and works free-lance as a marine biologist. Contact address: Contact address: Prof. Dr. Boris Culik Prof. Maurizio Wurtz F3: Forschung / Fakten / Fantasie Dept. of Biology, Genova University Am Reff 1 Viale Benedetto XV, 5 24226 Heikendorf, Germany 16132 Genova, Italy Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.fh3.de www.artescienza.org © 2004 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) / Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made.
    [Show full text]
  • List of Marine Mammal Species & Subspecies
    List of Marine Mammal Species & Subspecies The Committee on Taxonomy, chaired by Bill Perrin, produced the first official Society for Marine Mammalogy list of marine mammal species and subspecies in 2010 . Consensus on some issues was not possible; this is reflected in the footnotes. The list is updated annually. This version was updated in October 2015. This list can be cited as follows: “Committee on Taxonomy. 2015. List of marine mammal species and subspecies. Society for Marine Mammalogy, www.marinemammalscience.org, consulted on [date].” This list includes living and recently extinct (within historical times) species and subspecies, named and un-named. It is meant to reflect prevailing usage and recent revisions published in the peer-reviewed literature. An un-named subspecies is included if author(s) of a peer-reviewed article stated explicitly that the form is likely an undescribed subspecies. The Committee omits some described species and subspecies because of concern about their biological distinctness; reservations are given below. Author(s) and year of description of the species follow the Latin species name; when these are enclosed in parentheses, the species was originally described in a different genus. Classification and scientific names follow Rice (1998), with adjustments reflecting more recent literature. Common names are arbitrary and change with time and place; one or two currently frequently used names in English and/or a range language are given here. Additional English common names and common names in French, Spanish, Russian and other languages are available at www.marinespecies.org/cetacea/. Species and subspecies are listed in alphabetical order within families.
    [Show full text]
  • Classification and Phylogeny of the Superfamily Platanistoidea, with Notes on Evidence of the Monophyly of the Cetacea
    CLASSIFICATION AND PHYLOGENY OF THE SUPERFAMILY PLATANISTOIDEA, WITH NOTES ON EVIDENCE OF THE MONOPHYLY OF THE CETACEA ZHOU KAIYA Department of Biology, Nanjing Normal College, Nanjing ABSTRACT Important basis provided by the morphological studies on the skeleton, digestive and respiratory organs of the Platanistoidea have further proved that this group can be divided into four families. Considering the chara­ cteristics of the skeleton and other morphological features, the phylogenetic relationships among the four families are discussed. The systematic sequence of the families should be Iniidae, Lipotidae, Pontoporiidae and Platanistidae. Some characters noticed in the investigations are evidence in favour of the monophyly of the cetacea. INTRODUCTION The superfamily Platanistoidea possesses a number of primitive characters similar to the Oligocene-Miocene Squalodontoidea, some characters similar to the primi­ tive forms of the higher cetacean families and some specialized structures. Two different opinions advocating divide or combination concerning the classification of the Platanistoidea have been held over a long period of time. In the middle of the 19th century, Gray (1863, 1866) first divided the Pla­ tanistoid dolphins into groups. In his catalogue, Platanista constitutes the fourth family of Cetacea-Platanistidae; Inia constitutes the fifth family-Iniidae; Pon­ toporia was placed into the sixth family-Delphinidae. Flower (1869) gave another opinion before long, put together the above mentioned three genera into the Platanistidae. He made Platanista and Inia belong to the subfamily Platanistinae and Iniinae respectively and placed Pontoporia into the subfamily Iniinae pro­ visionally. At the beginning of the 20th century, Miller (1918) named Lipotes, the fourth genus of the modern Platanistoids, and referred it to the Iniidae.
    [Show full text]
  • Evolution of River Dolphins
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Publications, Agencies and Staff of the U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Department of Commerce 3-7-2001 Evolution of river dolphins Healy Hamilton Susana Caballero Allen G. Collins Robert L. Brownell Jr. NOAA, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usdeptcommercepub Part of the Environmental Sciences Commons Hamilton, Healy; Caballero, Susana; Collins, Allen G.; and Brownell, Robert L. Jr., "Evolution of river dolphins" (2001). Publications, Agencies and Staff of the U.S. Department of Commerce. 111. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usdeptcommercepub/111 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the U.S. Department of Commerce at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Publications, Agencies and Staff of the U.S. Department of Commerce by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Proceedings: Biological Sciences, Vol. 268, No. 1466 (Mar. 7, 2001), pp. 549-556 B THE ROYAL doi 10.1098/rspb.2000.1385 92 SOCIETY Evolution of river dolphins Healy E{amiltonltsSusana Caballero2,Allen G. Coll;nsl and Robert L. BrownellJr3 lMuseumof Paleontologyand Department of IntegrativeBiology, University of California,Berkeley, CA 94720, USA 2FundacionSubarta, Carrara 24Foeste, no 3-110,Cali, Colombia 3SouthwestFisheries Science Center, PO Box 271,La jrolla, CA 92038, USA The world's river dolphins (Inia, Pontoporia,Lipotes and Platanista)are among the least known and most endangered of all cetaceans. The four extant genera inhabit geographically disjunct river systems and exhibit highly modified morphologies, leading many cetologists to regard river dolphins as an unnatural group.
    [Show full text]
  • (Mammalia, Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Early Miocene of Peru
    A new archaic homodont toothed cetacean (Mammalia, Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the early Miocene of Peru Olivier LAMBERT Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, D.O. Terre et Histoire de la Vie, 29 rue Vautier, B-1000 Brussels (Belgium) [email protected] Christian DE MUIZON Département Histoire de la Terre, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Centre de Recherche sur la Paléobiodiversité et les Paléoenvironnements (CR2P: CNRS, MNHN, UPMC-Paris 06; Sorbonne Universités), case postale 38, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75231 Paris cedex 05 (France) [email protected] Giovanni BIANUCCI Università di Pisa, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, via S. Maria 53, I-56126 Pisa (Italy) [email protected] Published on 27 March 2015 urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B3DF8C10-7139-4CBA-9093-0795B6ACBBC7 Lambert O., De Muizon C. & Bianucci G. 2015. — A new archaic homodont toothed cetacean (Mammalia, Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Early Miocene of Peru. Geodiversitas 37 (1): 79-108. http://dx.doi.org/10.5252/g2015n1a4 ABSTRACT Apart from a few exceptions, extant odontocetes (toothed cetaceans) exhibit a roughly homodont dentition. e transition from basilosaurid-like double-rooted cheek teeth with accessory denticles to single-rooted conical teeth occurred during the late Oligocene-early Miocene. At that time, several clades of now extinct, homodont and predominantly long-snouted odontocetes appeared in the fossil record. Among them, members of the genera Argyrocetus Lydekker, 1893 and Macrodelphinus Wilson, 1935, from the early Miocene of the Northeast Pacific and Argentina, were tentatively attributed to the family Eurhinodelphinidae. However, due to the frag- mentary state of the specimens, unambiguous apomorphies of the family could not be detected.
    [Show full text]
  • Origin and Evolution of Large Brains in Toothed Whales
    WellBeing International WBI Studies Repository 12-2004 Origin and Evolution of Large Brains in Toothed Whales Lori Marino Emory University Daniel W. McShea Duke University Mark D. Uhen Cranbrook Institute of Science Follow this and additional works at: https://www.wellbeingintlstudiesrepository.org/acwp_vsm Part of the Animal Studies Commons, Other Animal Sciences Commons, and the Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons Recommended Citation Marino, L., McShea, D. W., & Uhen, M. D. (2004). Origin and evolution of large brains in toothed whales. The Anatomical Record Part A: Discoveries in Molecular, Cellular, and Evolutionary Biology, 281(2), 1247-1255. This material is brought to you for free and open access by WellBeing International. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of the WBI Studies Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Origin and Evolution of Large Brains in Toothed Whales Lori Marino1, Daniel W. McShea2, and Mark D. Uhen3 1 Emory University 2 Duke University 3 Cranbrook Institute of Science KEYWORDS cetacean, encephalization, odontocetes ABSTRACT Toothed whales (order Cetacea: suborder Odontoceti) are highly encephalized, possessing brains that are significantly larger than expected for their body sizes. In particular, the odontocete superfamily Delphinoidea (dolphins, porpoises, belugas, and narwhals) comprises numerous species with encephalization levels second only to modern humans and greater than all other mammals. Odontocetes have also demonstrated behavioral faculties previously only ascribed to humans and, to some extent, other great apes. How did the large brains of odontocetes evolve? To begin to investigate this question, we quantified and averaged estimates of brain and body size for 36 fossil cetacean species using computed tomography and analyzed these data along with those for modern odontocetes.
    [Show full text]