Matapanui

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Matapanui
Temporal range: Late Oligocene, 28.1–27.3  Ma
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Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Eomysticetidae
Genus: Matapanui
Boessenecker and Fordyce, 2016
Species:
M. waihao
Binomial name
Matapanui waihao
Boessenecker and Fordyce, 2016
Synonyms

MatapaBoessenecker and Fordyce, 2016
(preoccupied)

Contents

Matapanui is a genus of eomysticetid baleen whale from the Late Oligocene (early Chattian) Kokoamu Greensand of New Zealand.

Taxonomy

Matapanui was originally named Matapa, but that name was already in use for a genus of butterfly, necessitating the name change. [1] [2]

Paleobiology

Based on the enlarged temporal fossae and enlarged mandibular canal, Matapanui was probably incapable of lunge-feeding, although it remains unclear whether it could skim-feed or filter prey in the benthic zone. Waharoa shared its habitat with the odontocetes Awamokoa , Austrosqualodon , Otekaikea , and Waipatia , and the mysticetes Horopeta , Mauicetus , Tohoraata , Tokarahia , Waharoa , and Whakakai .

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References

  1. Robert W. Boessenecker; R. Ewan Fordyce (2016). "A new eomysticetid from the Oligocene Kokoamu Greensand of New Zealand and a review of the Eomysticetidae (Mammalia, Cetacea)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. Online edition. doi:10.1080/14772019.2016.1191045.
  2. Robert W. Boessenecker; R. Ewan Fordyce (2016). "Matapanui, a replacement name for Matapa Boessenecker & Fordyce, 2016". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. Online edition. doi:10.1080/14772019.2016.1210070.