Kekenodontidae

Kekenodontidae Temporal range: Late Oligocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Teeth of Kekenodon onamata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	† Kekenodontidae Mitchell, 1989
Genera
Kekenodon Tohoraonepu

Kekenodontidae is an extinct family of non-neocete pelagicetes from the Late Oligocene (Chattian) epoch of New Zealand. ^[1]

Taxonomy

Although at times classified as basal mysticetes or basal odontocetes, recent cladistic analyses demonstrate that kekenodontids are phylogenetically intermediate between basilosaurids and neocetes. ^{[1] [2]}

Palaeobiology

Palaeoecology

Isotopic study has found that the δ¹³C values of kekenodontids were unusually low, suggesting that they fed mainly on prey belonging to low trophic levels. ^[3]

References

1. Corrie, Joshua E.; Fordyce, Robert Ewan (2022). "A redescription and re-evaluation of Kekenodon onamata (Mammalia: Cetacea), a late-surviving archaeocete from the Late Oligocene of New Zealand". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . 196 (4): 1637–1670. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac019.
2. Corrie, Joshua E.; Fordyce, Robert Ewan (31 January 2024). "A new genus and species of kekenodontid from the late Oligocene of New Zealand with comments on the evolution of tooth displacement in Cetacea". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand : 1–16. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2023.2297696 . ISSN   0303-6758. PMC   11459822 . Retrieved 21 December 2025– via Taylor and Francis Online.
3. Clementz, Mark T.; Fordyce, Robert Ewan; Peek, Stephanie L.; Fox, David L. (15 April 2014). "Ancient marine isoscapes and isotopic evidence of bulk-feeding by Oligocene cetaceans". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology . 400: 28–40. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.09.009 . Retrieved 21 December 2025– via Elsevier Science Direct.