Dhedacetus

Dhedacetus
Temporal range: Middle Eocene, 48.6–40.4 Ma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: †Protocetidae
Genus: †Dhedacetus
Bajpai and Thewissen, 2014
Species:
†D. hyaeni
Binomial name
†Dhedacetus hyaeni
Bajpai and Thewissen, 2014

Dhedacetus hyaeni is a protocetid cetacean from the middle Eocene (late Lutetian, 42 mya). It is the only species in the genus Dhedacetus.[1] The type specimen was recovered from the Indian Harudi Formation near the town of Dhedadi, Kutch.[2]

Description

Only one skull and some vertebra are known.[3] D. hyaeni is the smallest protocetid from Kutch. Its premolars and molars are about the same size as in other protocetids such as Babiacetus, Rodhocetus and Maiacetus. It has a long, broad snout and high ocular orbits.[4][5]

The genus name comes from the town close by and the species name comes from a local hyena.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Sunil Bajpai; J.G.M. Thewissen (2014). "Protocetid cetaceans (Mammalia) from the Eocene of India". Palaeontologia Electronica. 17 (3, 34A): 19 p. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
  2. ^ "Dhedacetus hyaeni". Fossilworks. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  3. ^ Thewissen, J. G. M. (2014-11-13). The Walking Whales: From Land to Water in Eight Million Years. Univ of California Press. p. 163. ISBN 9780520277069.
  4. ^ Berta, Annalisa (2017-10-29). The Rise of Marine Mammals: 50 Million Years of Evolution. JHU Press. p. 159. ISBN 9781421423265.
  5. ^ Marx, Felix G.; Lambert, Olivier; Uhen, Mark D. (2016-03-29). Cetacean Paleobiology. John Wiley & Sons. p. 100. ISBN 9781118561362.