Izikoziphius

Last updated January 22, 2026

Izikoziphius Temporal range: Unknown (likely Miocene or Pliocene)^[1]

Fossilized skull of I. rossi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	Ziphiidae
Subfamily:	Ziphiinae
Genus:	† Izikoziphius Bianucci et al., 2007^[1]
Type species
Izikoziphius rossi Bianucci et al., 2007^[2]
Species
I. angustusBianucci et al., 2007^[3]

Izikoziphius is an extinct genus of beaked whale.^[1]^[4] It contains two species: Izikoziphius rossi, and Izikoziphius angustus.

Etymology
Description
Distribution
References

Etymology

The genus is named after the Iziko South African Museum. Its grammatical gender (in Latin) is masculine.^[4]Izikoziphius rossi is named after Dr. Graham James Berry Ross from the Port Elizabeth Museum in South Africa.^[4]^[5]

Description

Izikoziphius is different from the other genus in the subfamily Ziphiinae in that it has a longer rostrum, and lacks a prenarial basin. Izikoziphius rossi has a rostrum length of 490-530 millimeters, and a width and height of 94-155 and 84-100 millimeters, respectively. It differs from I. angustus in having a rostrum with a mid-length width more than that of its mid-length height. The base of its rostrum is also wider.^[4]

Distribution

Fossils of this species were found off the coast of South Africa.^[4]

References

1 2 3 "†Izikoziphius Bianucci et al. 2007 (beaked whale)". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
↑ "†Izikoziphius rossi Bianucci et al. 2007 (beaked whale)". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
↑ "†Izikoziphius angustus Bianucci et al. 2007 (beaked whale)". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
1 2 3 4 5 Bianucci, Giovanni; Lambert, Olivier; Post, Klaas (31 December 2007). "A high diversity in fossil beaked whales (Mammalia, Odontoceti, Ziphiidae) recovered by trawling from the sea floor off South Africa". Geodiversitas. 29 (4). Biodiversity Literature Repository: 561–618. doi:10.5281/zenodo.4651080 . Retrieved 4 July 2025.
↑ Plön, Stephanie; Hofmeyr, G. J. Greg; Cockcroft, Victor G.; Shaughnessy, Peter; Kemper, Catherine M.; Beesley, Pamela L. (October 2017). "Graham James Berry Ross 1945–2017". Marine Mammal Science. 33 (4): 1255–1263. doi:10.1111/mms.12455 . Retrieved 4 July 2025.

Odontocete genera

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea

Odontoceti

† Agorophius † Ankylorhiza † Archaeodelphis † Argyrocetus † Ashleycetus † Caolodelphis † Chilcacetus † Enigmatocetus † Eoplatanista † Inticetus † Macrodelphinus † Microcetus † Mirocetus † Neosqualodon † Olympicetus † Papahu † Patriocetus † Phoberodon † Phococetus † Prosqualodon † Sachalinocetus † Simocetus † Sulakocetus † Tangaroasaurus
† Xenorophidae	Albertocetus Cotylocara Echovenator Inermorostrum Xenorophus
† Waipatiidae	Awamokoa Ediscetus Nihohae Nihoroa Otekaikea Urkudelphis Waipatia
† Squalodontidae	Eosqualodon Squalodon
† Squaloziphiidae	Crisocetus ? Squaloziphius Yaquinacetus
† Eurhinodelphinidae	Ceterhinops Eurhinodelphis Iniopsis Mycteriacetus Phocaenopsis Schizodelphis Vanbreenia Xiphiacetus Ziphiodelphis
Crown-Odontoceti	see below↓

Crown-Odontoceti

Physeteroidea

† Acrophyseter † Albicetus † Brygmophyseter † Eudelphis † Hoplocetus † Livyatan † Miophyseter † Rhaphicetus † Scaldicetus † Zygophyseter
Kogiidae	† Aprixokogia Kogia † Koristocetus † Nanokogia † Platyscaphokogia † Pliokogia † Praekogia † Scaphokogia † Thalassocetus ?
Physeteridae	† Aulophyseter † Cozzuoliphyseter † Diaphorocetus † Idiophyseter † Idiorophus † Orycterocetus Physeter † Physeterula † Placoziphius † Thalassocetus ?

Platanistoidea

† Aondelphis † Dolgopolis † Ensidelphis † Perditicetus † Eurhinodelphinidae ? † Squalodontidae ? † Waipatiidae ?
† Allodelphinidae?	Allodelphis Arktocara Goedertius Ninjadelphis Zarhinocetus
† Squalodelphinidae?	Furcacetus Huaridelphis Macrosqualodelphis Medocinia Notocetus Phocageneus Squalodelphis
Platanistidae	† Araeodelphis † Dilophodelphis † Grimadelphis † Pachyacanthus ? † Pebanista Platanista † Pomatodelphis † Prepomatodelphis † Zarhachis ?

Ziphiidae

† Aporotus † Beneziphius † Caviziphius † Chavinziphius † Chimuziphius † Choneziphius † Dagonodum † Globicetus † Imocetus † Messapicetus † Nazcacetus † Nenga † Ninoziphius † Notoziphius † Pterocetus Tasmacetus † Tusciziphius † Xhosacetus † Ziphirostrum
Berardiinae	† Archaeoziphius Berardius † Microberardius
Ziphiinae	† Izikoziphius Ziphius
Hyperoodontinae	† Africanacetus Hyperoodon † Ihlengesi Indopacetus Mesoplodon

Delphinida	see below↓

Delphinida

† Albireo † Atocetus † Brevirostrodelphis † Cammackacetus † Delphinodon † Hadrodelphis † Herbeinodelphis † Liolithax † Lophocetus † Macrokentriodon † Miminiacetus † Odobenocetops † Pictodelphis † Pithanodelphis † Tagicetus † Westmorelandelphis
† Kentriodontidae	Belonodelphis ? Kampholophos Kentriodon Platysvercus Sophianacetus Rudicetus Wimahl
Lipotidae	Lipotes † Parapontoporia † Prolipotes

Inioidea

† Awadelphis
Iniidae	† Brujadelphis † Goniodelphis Inia † Ischyrorhynchus † Isoninia ? † Isthminia † Kwanzacetus † Meherrinia † Plicodontinia † Saurocetes
Pontoporiidae	† Atocetus ? † Auroracetus † Brachydelphis † Piscorhynchus † Pliopontos † Pontistes † Protophocaena † Samaydelphis † Scaldiporia † Stenasodelphis Pontoporia

Delphinoidea

Monodontidae	† Bohaskaia † Casatia Delphinapterus † Denebola † Haborodelphis Monodon
Phocoenidae	† Archaeophocaena † Australithax † Haborophocoena † Lomacetus † Miophocaena Neophocaena † Numataphocoena Phocoena Phocoenoides † Piscolithax † Pterophocaena ? † Semirostrum † Septemtriocetus

Delphinidae

† Arimidelphis † Australodelphis † Eodelphinus † Etruridelphis † Hemisyntrachelus Lagenorhynchus Leucopleurus † Norisdelphis Orcinus † Platalearostrum † Pliodelphis † Pterophocaena ?
Lissodelphininae	Aethalodelphis Cephalorhynchus Lissodelphis
Delphininae	Delphinus Lagenodelphis Sotalia Sousa Stenella Tursiops
Globicephalinae	Feresa Globicephala Grampus Orcaella Peponocephala Pseudorca Steno

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Izikoziphius

Contents

Etymology

Description

Distribution

References