Microcetus

Microcetus is a genus of extinct odontocete from the late Oligocene (Chattian) of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

Microcetus Temporal range: Late Oligocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Suborder:	Whippomorpha
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Parvorder:	Odontoceti
Family:	†Waipatiidae (?)
Genus:	†Microcetus Kellogg, 1923
Species
M. ambiguus (von Meyer, 1840) (type) ?M. sharkovi Dubrovo and Sharkov 1971

Taxonomy

The type species of Microcetus, M. ambiguus, was originally described as a new species of Phoca on the basis of teeth from late Oligocene deposits in northwestern Germany.^[1] The odontocete nature of the teeth was eventually recognized, and it was eventually assigned to Squalodon,^[2][3] before being made the type species of a new genus, Microcetus.^[4]

Misassigned species

• Microcetus hectori Benham, 1935 = Waipatia hectori
• Microcetus sharkovi Dubrovo and Sharkov, 1971^[5] = likely a distinct genus, but affinities uncertain^[6][7]