Pomatodelphis

Pomatodelphis is an extinct genus of river dolphin from Middle Miocene marine deposits in Alabama, Maryland, Florida, Brazil, Germany, and France.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Pomatodelphis Temporal range: Middle Miocene ~15.97–7.25 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Reconstructed P. inaequalis skeleton, Florida Museum of Natural History
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Suborder:	Whippomorpha
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	Platanistidae
Subfamily:	†Pomatodelphininae
Genus:	†Pomatodelphis Allen, 1921
Type species
†Pomatodelphis inaequalis Allen, 1921
Species
P. bobengi P. inaequalis P. stenorhynchus

Etymology

Pomatodelphis may be a typo for potamodelphis ("river dolphin")^[6] from potamo-, "river", and δελφίς, delphis "dolphin".

Classification

Pomatodelphis belongs to the platanistid subfamily Pomatodelphininae, which is distinguished from the South Asian river dolphin in having a flattened rostrum, a transversely expanded posterior end of the premaxilla, an eye and bony orbit of normal size (not atrophied), and nasal bones not reduced in size but wide transversely. A close relative of Pomatodelphis is Prepomatodelphis from marine deposits in Austria. Three species are known, P. inaequalis, P. bobengi, and P. stenorhynchus.^[7]

Fossil skull of P. bobengi

Fossil distribution

Fossils of Pomatodelphis have been found in:^[1][6]

• Citronelle Formation (Hemphillian), Alabama
• Solimões Formation (Huayquerian), Brazil
• Marks Head, Peace River and Statenhead Formations, Florida
• France
• Germany