| Chonecetus Temporal range: Oligocene | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | † Aetiocetidae |
| Genus: | † Chonecetus Russell (1968) |
| Type species | |
| †Chonecetus sookensis | |
| Species | |
| |
Chonecetus is an extinct genus of primitive baleen whale of the family Aetiocetidae [1] that lived in the Oligocene period. [2] Its fossils have been found in Canada, [3] in the northeast Pacific. [4] It was first named by L.S. Russell in 1968, and contains one species, C. sookensis.
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Like Aetiocetus , Chonecetus possessed both multicusped teeth and the nutrient foramina required for baleen. [5] Chonecetus closely resembled a modern Mysticeti, with an elongate, streamlined body supporting a pair of paddle-shaped forelimbs, and a horizontal tail fluke strengthened by fibrous cartilage. [1]
