Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Macrodelphinus
Extinct genus of mammals From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Macrodelphinus is an extinct genus of primitive odontocete known from Early Miocene marine deposits in California.
Remove ads
Biology
Macrodelphinus was an orca-sized odontocete similar to members of Eurhinodelphinidae in having a swordfish-like rostrum and upper jaw. Because of its size, and inch-long teeth, it is believed to have been an apex predator.
Classification
Macrodelphinus is known from a fragmentary skull from the Early Miocene Jewett Sand Formation of Kern County, southern California.[1] Although often classified as a member of Eurhinodelphinidae, the cladistic analysis of Chilcacetus recovers it outside Eurhinodelphinidae, less advanced than Eoplatanista.[2] The Miocene species "Champsodelphis" valenciennesii Brandt, 1873, based on a rostrum fragment from marine sediments in Landes, France, was assigned to Macrodelphinus by Kellogg (1944).[3]
Remove ads
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads