Metopocetus is an extinct genus of baleen whale belonging to the family Cetotheriidae. The type species is Metopocetus durinasus.
| Metopocetus Temporal range: Miocene,
| |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Cetotheriidae |
| Subfamily: | †Herpetocetinae |
| Genus: | †Metopocetus Cope, 1896 |
| Species | |
|
†M. durinasus Cope, 1896 (type) | |
Description
editMetopocetus is diagnosable by lateral occipital crests continuous with temporal crests that diverge forward, as well as elongate frontals, and short nasal bones that project posterior to frontals.[1]
Location
editMetopocetus durinasus is known only from the middle Miocene (Langhian) Calvert Beach Member of the Calvert Formation of Westmoreland County, Virginia. Its type specimen is USNM 8518.[2] On the other hand, Metopocetus hunteri is based on a partial cranium from the Breda Formation of the Netherlands.[3]
References
edit- ^ E. D. Cope. 1896. Sixth contribution to the knowledge of the marine Miocene fauna of North America. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 35(150):139-146
- ^ M. D. Uhen, R. E. Fordyce, and L. G. Barnes. 2008. Mysticeti. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America II:607-628
- ^ Marx FG, Bosselaers MEJ, Louwye S. (2016) A new species of Metopocetus (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Cetotheriidae) from the Late Miocene of the Netherlands. PeerJ 4:e1572 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1572