| Cephalotropis Temporal range: Miocene, | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Cetotheriidae |
| Genus: | † Cephalotropis Cope, 1896 |
| Species | |
†C. coronatus Cope, 1896 (type) | |
Cephalotropis is a genus of baleen whale belonging to the extinct family Cetotheriidae. Its type species is Cephalotropis coronatus.
Cephalotropis is diagnosed by the following features: a long sagittal crest, a more anteriorly produced angle of the supraoccipital angle, among other features. [1] There is insufficient information to determine how big Cephalotropis was, but it probably grew to about 16–20 feet long.
Cephalotropis coronatus was originally described from the Late Miocene (Tortonian) St. Mary's Formation of St. Mary's Formation, Maryland, based on the holotype USNM 9352. [2] A second species of the genus, C. nectus, was named for a specimen from a Tortonian-aged formation in Portugal, [3] but is now considered a junior synonym of C. coronatus. [4]
Cetotherium is an extinct genus of baleen whales from the family Cetotheriidae.
Hesperotestudo is an extinct genus of tortoise native to North and Central America from the Early Miocene to the Late Pleistocene. Species of Hesperotestudo varied widely in size, with a large undescribed specimen from the Late Pleistocene of El Salvador reaching 150 cm (4.9 ft) in carapace length, larger than that of extant giant tortoises. Historically considered a subgenus of Geochelone, it is now considered to be distantly related to that genus. Its relationships with other tortoises are uncertain. The exposed areas of the bodies of Hesperotestudo species were extensively covered with large dermal ossicles, which in life were covered in keratin. It has been suggested that species of Hesperotestudo were relatively tolerant of cold weather. Hesperotestudo became extinct at the end of the Pleistocene roughly co-incident with the arrival of the first humans in North America. There is apparently a site in Florida where one individual may have been killed that some suggested were evidence of butchering, although others suggested that the turtle was neither cooked nor does a ledge that was found near it date at the same time as it.
Syllomus is an extinct genus of sea turtle from the Miocene-age deposits in the US Eastern Seaboard and Egypt.
Charactosuchus is an extinct genus of crocodilian. It was assigned to the family Crocodylidae in 1988. Specimens have been found in Colombia, Brazil, Jamaica, and possibly Florida and South Carolina. It was gharial-like in appearance with its long narrow snout but bore no relation to them, being more closely related to modern crocodiles than to gharials.
Joumocetus is a genus of extinct baleen whale in the family Cetotheriidae containing the single species Joumocetus shimizui. The species is known only from a partial skeleton found in Miocene age sediments of Japan.
Acrophyseter is a genus of extinct sperm whales that lived in the Late Miocene off the coast of Peru comprising two species: A. deinodon and A. robustus. It is part of a group of macroraptorial sperm whales which all shared several features for the purpose of hunting large prey, such as deeply rooted and thick teeth. Acrophyseter measured 4–4.5 metres (13–15 ft), making it the smallest raptorial sperm whale. Because of its short pointed snout, and its strong curved front teeth, it probably fed on the large marine vertebrates of its time, such as seals and other whales.
Thecachampsa is an extinct genus of gavialoid crocodylian, traditionally regarded as a member of the subfamily Tomistominae. Fossils have been found from the eastern United States in deposits of Miocene age. Those named in the 19th century were distinguished primarily by the shape of their teeth, and have since been combined with T. antiquus. More recently erected species were reassigned from other genera, although their assignment to Thecachampsa has since been questioned.
Cetotheriidae is a family of baleen whales. The family is known to have existed from the Late Oligocene to the Early Pleistocene before going extinct. Although some phylogenetic studies conducted by Fordyce & Marx 2013 recovered the living pygmy right whale as a member of Cetotheriidae, making the pygmy right whale the only living cetotheriid, other authors either dispute this placement or recover Neobalaenidae as a sister group to Cetotheriidae.
Piscobalaena is an extinct genus of cetaceans, which lived from the Middle to Late Miocene epochs in Peru and Florida. Its fossils have been found in the Pisco Formation of Peru and the Bone Valley Formation of Florida. At least some individuals of this diminutive whale were preyed on by the shark O. megalodon.
Peripolocetus is a genus of balaenid baleen whale from the middle Miocene of Kern County, California.
Cetotheriopsis is a genus of extinct cetaceans of the family Cetotheriopsidae.
Monotherium is an extinct genus of phocid belonging to the subfamily Monachinae. It is known from fossils found in the middle to late Miocene of Belgium.
"Balaenoptera" ryani is an extinct species of Balaenopteridae from the late Miocene of California. It was originally considered a species of Balaenoptera, but is now recognized as more primitive than any extant or fossil balaenopterid and thus in need of a new generic name.
Mixocetus is a genus of extinct baleen whale belonging to the family Tranatocetidae. It is known only from the late Miocene (Tortonian) of Los Angeles County, California.
Metopocetus is an extinct genus of baleen whale belonging to the family Cetotheriidae. The type species is Metopocetus durinasus.
Brandtocetus is a genus of cetotheriid mysticete in the subfamily Cetotheriinae. The type and only species is Brandtocetus chongulek from the late Miocene (Tortonian) of the Kerch Peninsula in Crimea.
Eucetotherium is a genus of cetotheriid mysticete from Miocene (Tortonian) marine deposits in the Russian Caucasus.
Lophocetus is an extinct genus of dolphin belonging to the clade Delphinida that is known from late Miocene (Tortonian) marine deposits in California and Maryland. Although usually placed in Kentriodontidae, recent studies have found it only distantly related to Kentriodon.
Stenasodelphis is an extinct genus of pontoporiid dolphin from the mid-late Miocene epoch. Its name roughly translates to "the narrow-nosed dolphin." The genus is currently monotypic, containing only the species S. russellae. The specific epithet honors Mrs. Jean Hopper, who discovered the holotype. It was found in material derived from zone 22-23 of St. Marys Formation, which dates to the early Tortonian.
Messapicetus is an extinct genus of beaked whale from the Late Miocene. It currently holds two species, M. longirostris from the Tortonian of Italy and M. gregarius from the Pisco Formation of Peru. However, a third unnamed species is represented in the St. Marys Formation of Maryland known from fragmentary material. M. gregarius is sexually dimorphic, males having tusks which are hypothesized to have been used in intraspecific combat for mates as in extant (living) beaked whales.
