Rhaphicetus

Rhaphicetus is an extinct genus of physeteroid whale that lived in Peru in the lower Miocene epoch around 19-18 million years ago. This genus contains one species, Raphicetus valenciae, representing one of the earliest branching stem physteroid.^[1]

Rhaphicetus Temporal range: Early Miocene 19–18 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Reconstruction of the skull
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Suborder:	Whippomorpha
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Superfamily:	Physeteroidea
Family:	incertae sedis
Genus:	†Rhaphicetus Lambert et al., 2020
Species:	†R. valenciae
Binomial name
†Rhaphicetus valenciae Lambert et al., 2020

Description

This genus is medium sized with a estimated length of 4.7–5.7 metres (15–19 ft). It has a narrow and cylindrical rostrum that comprises nearly 75% of the condylobasal length. The upper jaw has at least 36 teeth per quadrant.^[1]