| Aulophyseter Temporal range: Mid-Late Miocene | |
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| Skeleton of A. morricei at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Superfamily: | Physeteroidea |
| Family: | Physeteridae |
| Subfamily: | Physeterinae |
| Genus: | † Aulophyseter Kellogg, 1927 [1] |
| Species | |
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Aulophyseter is an extinct genus of sperm whales from the subfamily Physeterinae that existed during the Miocene.
Aulophyseter reached a length of approximately 6.1 metres (20 ft) with an estimated body weight of 1,200 kilograms (2,600 lb). [3] On the maxilla and mandible, Aulophyseter possessed small, sharp teeth that lack enamel.
Aulophyseter's small teeth lack enamel, which suggests that its feeding habits were more similar to those of modern sperm whales than to other early sperm whales. The diet of Aulophyseter was largely limited to cephalopods and fish. [4]
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