| Kharodacetus Temporal range: Middle Eocene, | |
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| Kharodacetus sahnii, mandible, specimen number IITR-SB 3189 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | † Protocetidae |
| Subfamily: | † Protocetinae |
| Genus: | † Kharodacetus Bajpai and Thewissen, 2014 |
| Species | |
Kharodacetus is a genus of protocetid cetacean from the middle Eocene (late Lutetian, 42 mya) of Kutch, Gujarat, southwestern India. [1]
Kharodacetus is a large-sized protocetid with large premolars and a flat supraorbital shield with large orbits (eye sockets). Its snout is long and relatively broad, (though the snout is narrower in Gaviacetus and Makaracetus , broader in Takracetus ), its orbit is high above the palate, and the premolars are large and robust. The molars have a large protocone (unlike Babiacetus ) and a large metacone (unlike Maiacetus ), and are, relative to P4, longer than in other protocetids. [1]
Kharodacetus was originally described as a species of Gaviacetus , G. sahnii in 1998. [2] It was distinguished based on the larger size of the teeth (150-200% bigger than those of Gaviacetus). However, subsequently discovered remains described in 2014 resulted in the species being allocated to its own genus. [1]
Rodhocetus is an extinct genus of protocetid early whale known from the Lutetian of Pakistan. The best-known protocetid, Rodhocetus is known from two partial skeletons that taken together give a complete image of an Eocene whale that had short limbs with long hands and feet that were probably webbed and a sacrum that was immobile with four partially fused sacral vertebrae. It is one of several extinct whale genera that possess land mammal characteristics, thus demonstrating the evolutionary transition from land to sea.
Pakicetidae is an extinct family of Archaeoceti that lived during the Early Eocene in Pakistan. A 2013 publication presents the emergence of cetacea in the Paleogene as starting with the pakicetids.
The evolution of cetaceans is thought to have begun in the Indian subcontinent from even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) 50 million years ago (mya) and to have proceeded over a period of at least 15 million years. Cetaceans are fully aquatic marine mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla and branched off from other artiodactyls around 50 mya. Cetaceans are thought to have evolved during the Eocene, the second epoch of the present-extending Cenozoic Era. Molecular and morphological analyses suggest Cetacea share a relatively recent closest common ancestor with hippopotami and that they are sister groups. Being mammals, they surface to breathe air; they have five finger bones (even-toed) in their fins; they nurse their young; and, despite their fully aquatic life style, they retain many skeletal features from their terrestrial ancestors. Research conducted in the late 1970s in Pakistan revealed several stages in the transition of cetaceans from land to sea.
Ambulocetus is a genus of early amphibious cetacean from the Kuldana Formation in Pakistan, roughly 48 or 47 million years ago during the Early Eocene (Lutetian). It contains one species, Ambulocetus natans, known solely from a near-complete skeleton. Ambulocetus is among the best-studied of Eocene cetaceans, and serves as an instrumental find in the study of cetacean evolution and their transition from land to sea, as it was the first cetacean discovered to preserve a suite of adaptations consistent with an amphibious lifestyle. Ambulocetus is classified in the group Archaeoceti—the ancient forerunners of modern cetaceans whose members span the transition from land to sea—and in the family Ambulocetidae, which includes Himalayacetus and Gandakasia.
Pakicetus is an extinct genus of amphibious cetacean of the family Pakicetidae, which was endemic to Pakistan during the Ypresian period, roughly 50 million years ago. It was a wolf-like mammal, about 1 metre to 2 metres long, and lived in and around water where it ate fish and other animals. The vast majority of paleontologists regard it as the most basal whale, representing a transitional stage between land mammals and whales. It belongs to the even-toed ungulates with the closest living non-cetacean relative being the hippopotamus.
Archaeoceti, or Zeuglodontes in older literature, is a paraphyletic group of primitive cetaceans that lived from the Early Eocene to the late Oligocene. Representing the earliest cetacean radiation, they include the initial amphibious stages in cetacean evolution, thus are the ancestors of both modern cetacean suborders, Mysticeti and Odontoceti. This initial diversification occurred in the shallow waters that separated India and Asia 53 to 45 mya, resulting in some 30 species adapted to a fully oceanic life. Echolocation and filter-feeding evolved during a second radiation 36 to 35 mya.
Ichthyolestes is an extinct genus of archaic cetacean that was endemic to Indo-Pakistan during the Lutetian stage. To date, this monotypic genus is only represented by Ichthyolestes pinfoldi.
Kutchicetus is an extinct genus of early whale of the family Remingtonocetidae that lived during Early-Middle Eocene in what is now the coastal border of Pakistan and India. It is closely related to Andrewsiphius with which it was synonymized by Gingerich et al. 2001. Thewissen & Bajpai 2009 proposed a new clade, Andrewsiphiinae, for the two species. Later authors, however, still accept both as separate genera.
Remingtonocetus is an extinct genus of early cetacean freshwater aquatic mammals of the family Remingtonocetidae endemic to the coastline of the ancient Tethys Ocean during the Eocene. It was named after naturalist Remington Kellogg.
Maiacetus is a genus of early cetacean from the Habib Rahi Formation of Pakistan.
Remingtonocetidae is a diverse family of early aquatic mammals of the order Cetacea. The family is named after paleocetologist Remington Kellogg.
Gaviacetus is an extinct archaeocete whale that lived approximately 45 million years ago. Gaviacetus was named for its characteristic narrow rostrum and the fast pursuit predation suggested by its unfused sacral vertebrae.
Protocetidae, the protocetids, form a diverse and heterogeneous group of extinct cetaceans known from Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, and North America.
Supayacetus is an extinct genus of basilosaurid cetacean from the Middle Eocene Paracas Formation of Peru. It has been noted for its relatively small size and basal morphology, with the sternum bearing close resemblance to those of protocetids. Due to this, it has been traditionally placed as one of the basalmost basilosaurids, except for a 2023 study that places it within the family Pachycetinae close to Neoceti. Supayacetus is monotypic, meaning the genus includes only a single species: S. muizoni.
Babiacetus is an extinct genus of early cetacean that lived during the late Lutetian middle Eocene of India . It was named after its type locality, the Harudi Formation in the Babia Hills, Kutch District, Gujarat, India.
Pappocetus is an extinct protocetid cetacean known from the Eocene of Nigeria and Togo.
Andrewsiphius is an extinct remingtonocetid early whale known from the Eocene of Gujarat and Kutch, India and Balochistan, Pakistan.
Indocetus is a protocetid early whale known from the late early Eocene Harudi Formation in Kutch, India.
Dhedacetus hyaeni is a protocetid cetacean from the middle Eocene. It is the only species in the genus Dhedacetus. The type specimen was recovered from the Indian Harudi Formation near the town of Dhedadi, Kutch.
Tupelocetus is an extinct genus of early cetacean found in the Bartonian Middle Eocene Tupelo Bay Formation, in Berkeley County, South Carolina.
Archaeocete genera by family | |||||||
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| Pakicetidae | |||||||
| Ambulocetidae | |||||||
| Remingtonocetidae | |||||||
| Protocetidae |
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| Basilosauridae |
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