A new kentriodontid (Cetacea: Delphinoidea) from the Middle Miocene of Hungary

Mediocris commenticius n. gen., n. sp. is herein described as a kentriodontid dolphin from the Sarmatian (late Middle Miocene) of south Hungary, territory of the ancient Central Paratethys Sea. The type specimen is an incomplete skeleton including a distorted skull and mandibles with teeth, ear bones, elements of both flippers, and numerous vertebrae. Mediocris commenticius has a nasal bone morphology that differs from all delphinoid taxa, but is most similar to members of the Pithanodelphininae Barnes, 1985. The nasals are triangular, not inflated, have a faint anterolateral notch, and diverge posteriorly. On the basis of the nasal bone morphology, the new species shows affinities to Pithanodelphis , and is less derived than Atocetus and Sarmatodelphis . Due to the incompleteness of the cranial vertex of the type and only known skull, however, the species is only tentatively referred to the subfamily Pithanodelphininae.